Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has again updated its guidelines for visits to Family Birth and Newborn Centers.

“We will continue to update this policy based on the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other professional societies,” said Amanda Flicker, MD, Chief, Division of Obstetrics.

The following updates to guidelines for visits are in effect as of June 3 for LVHN Family Birth and Newborn Centers:

Health screenings will be performed for patients and visitors before they enter the unit.

Visitors meeting any of the following criteria will be prohibited from entering Family Birth and Newborn Centers:

• Have a confirmed or presumed diagnosis of COVID-19 and have not yet met criteria for discontinuation of home quarantine. According to CDC, home isolation can be discontinued after at least 10 days from symptom onset and at least 72 hours without fever, cough or shortness of breath.

• Have a COVID-19 test pending or have experienced high-risk exposure to someone with confirmed COVID-19 within the last 14 days.

• Have symptoms suggesting COVID-19, including fever, cough or shortness of breath.

• Are under a 14-day home quarantine for international travel.

Triage: One healthy support person is permitted to visit. The visitor is asked to bring his or her own face mask and is expected to remain in the patient’s room.

Perinatal-Antepartum units: One healthy designated support person is permitted to visit a patient and is asked to bring his or her own face mask. Ideally, this shall be only one person, and visitors should not change from hour to hour or day to day.

Labor and Delivery operating room (cesarean delivery): One healthy support person is permitted to visit in the operating room for patients who do not have confirmed, presumed or suspected COVID-19 without recovery. The visitor will be asked to wear a surgical face mask and other appropriate operating room attire and must pass screening.

Labor and Delivery-Mother-Baby units: A single support person per patient is still permitted on Labor and Delivery and Mother-Baby units.

“We understand and value the importance and benefit of a support person during this crucial time, so we welcome one support person to be with you,” Flicker said.

Each visitor is required to:

• Participate in daily monitoring during the hospital stay, including temperature and symptom assessment.

• Bring and wear his or her own face mask. A clean, dry, freshly laundered face cloth mask should be worn at all times during the hospital visit.

• Remain in the patient room for the entire hospital stay, except to visit newborns in the NICU. Meals can be provided.

• Remain at the hospital during the entire stay. However, if the support person must leave the hospital, he or she will be permitted re-entry after passing another screening.

• If visitors are unable or unwilling to follow the guidelines, they will be asked to leave.

If the mother has COVID-19 (or is suspected to have COVID-19) and is separated from the baby based on recommendations from the CDC, the visitor or support person cannot move between the mother’s isolation room and the baby’s isolation room or nursery.

The visitor should become the newborn’s visitor and no longer the mother’s visitor. If the mother and baby are in the same room, the visitor may stay in the room but should primarily provide newborn care.

Mothers will also be required to wear face masks, preferably a face mask brought from home, including freshly washed cloth masks. If a face mask is not brought, one will be provided.

Information: www.LVHN.org/motherhoodpartners