Maternal Health Services

Prenatal services are available daily by appointment Monday - Friday.  Medicaid and insurance accepted.  Sliding fee scale with proof of income.  Prenatal services are provided by Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP), Registered nurses (RN) and Local physicians (On staff once per week).

Services Offered:

• Physical examination:
  • FNP completes the initial physical examination
  • MD sees the client on the second visit and as needed
  • Limited physical exam each visit by the RN or FNP
  • Blood pressure, weight, and lab tests each visit.
  • Sonograms and non stress tests are offered in the clinic
• Education:
  • Topics include issues of pregnancy, nutrition, infant care, infant nutrition, growth and development, safety, injury prevention
• Referrals (As needed):
  • WIC services
  • Follow-up is done on any abnormality as recommended by current attending physician.
• Home Visits:
  • Home visits are made by Registered Nurses or Social Workers as needed. Also see Postpartum-Newborn Home visiting.
• Centering Pregnancy
  • Group model of prenatal care in which 8-12 women meet for 10 sessions during their pregnancy.
  • Sessions are facilitated by a FNP and RN
  • Groups include assessments, education and support
  • Centering allows the woman to be more involved in her care
  • Women develop relationships and support systems with the other women in the group

New Born Post Partum Home Visiting

Infant mortality and morbidity is a continuous problem in all counties of North Carolina including Duplin County. Factors contributing to this problem are:

• teen pregnancy
• poor nutrition
• smoking
• substance abuse
• lack of prenatal care
• abuse and neglect

Postpartum-Newborn home visiting is used as a part of the preventive health care system to reduce infant mortality and morbidity. This service is completed by a qualified Registered Nurse.

Services are available to:

• Mothers and their newborn baby who live in Duplin County; receive Medicaid or have no health insurance coverage.

Postpartum Newborn Home Visits include:

• Physical assessment of the mother and newborn.
• Monitoring emotional well-being of the mother and her ability to provide care to the newborn.
• Assisting with breast feeding efforts and providing support to promote its success
• Providing education on a variety of topics, including postpartum care, birth control options, growth and development of the newborn, newborn care, nutritional needs of the mother and baby, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) prevention, Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention, immunizations, and much more.
• Fostering parent/infant bonding skills.
• Coordinating care among the family's health care providers and community resources.
• Referrals to appropriate providers for identified problems or needs.

Visits are provided in the client's home and scheduled at their convenience. A single visit is provided with an option for subsequent visits if found to be needed after assessment by the nurse.

For further information on postpartum-newborn home visiting call Duplin County Health Department (910-296-2130).