Recommendation for kaiser pediatrician for high risk infant
Our little boy was born in February and had a birth injury that makes him high risk for cerebral palsy and developmental delays, our current Kaiser pediatrician doesn't seem great at considering his difficult start in life, and the extra support we need as a family, any recommendations? We go to Oakland Kaiser currently but live in El Cerrito.
Jun 15, 2020
Parent Replies
I'm so sorry your son had a birth injury. I hope he progress well. My son has special needs and our pediatrician is Dr. Amy Sobel (in Pinole, which should be closer to you and EASY parking!) and I love her. My son's pediatric neurologist is Dr. Jean Hayward (if you need one, she's at Oakland) who is fantastic, SO smart, but while we love her, she is more scientist than therapist. Good luck!
I can't recommend a pediatrician, but want to be sure you are connected with Regional Center of the East Bay. They will provide therapists to support your baby's development. You can self-refer, so no need to wait until you choose a new pediatrician.
Congratulations on the birth of your newborn son. What an exciting and wondrous time. I'm sure it must feel really scary right now. I have been in your shoes. I'm not sure she is taking new patients but we have been seeing Sharon Henry at Kaiser Richmond. I cannot vouch for her as a pediatrician for a newborn because my son was born in SF and I did not have Kaiser then. She was great with my son as a toddler and older. Definitely see if your chosen doctor can connect you with the Regional Center. I find that getting some services for my son was part of the health plan (neurology) but there was a charge for an OT eval. Regional Center was all free but that was set up for my son via the hospital where he was born. I also recommend speaking to an organization outside of Kaiser that may have resources for you. When I was living in Sf, I spoke to people at Support for Families of Children with Disabilities. Maybe you can call them and see if they have any support resources for parents who just want someone to listen. Or, maybe they can direct you to another organization in the East Bay. Maybe you can also contact First 5 to see if they have any resources? One thing that helped me a lot during this time was to have my own therapist. It was very stressful as we had wracked up a ton of bills from my son's stay in the NICU on top of worrying about whether or not he would ever sit up on his own or worrying about whether he would graduate high school. I have no idea what happened to your son but I'm sure he is getting a lot from the love and attention you are giving him. Are you set up to see a nurse who will check up on your child every few weeks? We received that service. The hospital set that up for us. The nurse checked on his milestones, abilities and made it fun for the baby. Inevitably, our son got a diagnosis of mild cerebral palsy. From there, he was able to get PT and OT. He had a slight weakness on one of his legs for a while but on the whole, his outcome was better than I anticipated based on what they warned me about. I would be happy to talk to you on the phone or email if you want to hear our story, some of the things I did, if it helps you. My son is 13 now. I wish your family all the best and I hope your son's outcome improves. I believe you can contact me via BPN but I'll have to check on that when I'm done with this post. I might have to make some adjustments so you can do that.