Valley Medical Center is one of many healthcare systems and pharmacies that continue to be impacted by a vendor network disruption. We have regained the ability to process prescriptions at our pharmacy locations with a few exceptions. We continue to have limited ability to process copay assistance cards. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work to help as many people as we can until the issue is resolved.
Due to high levels of seasonal illness in our community, we strongly recommend wearing a mask in our hospital and clinics. See our patient visitor policy.
The majority of new moms today are choosing to breastfeed. Nationally, about 75 percent of babies leave the hospital breastfeeding; at Valley Medical Center, it's about 90 percent. Our nursing staff will help get you off to a good start during your hospital stay. Once you go home, we offer outpatient lactation consultants.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Practice Physicians, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF all recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively until solid foods are started, at about 6 months of age. They also recommend that mothers continue breastfeeding until baby is at least 1 year old.
Breastfed babies have:
Parents who breastfeed have:
Learn more about Valley Medical Center's status as an accredited Baby-Friendly hospital.
Hearing problems are among the most common with newborns, and early detection leads to early intervention. Hearing screenings can help with the development of proper language skills, which are essential to a child's social and intellectual growth. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all infants be screened for hearing loss and is working toward the goal of 100% of newborns being screened. In response to this recommendation, your doctor will order a hearing screen for your newborn.