Our approach
Our Care
Newborn paediatric care at Frances Perry House — relationship-based, evidence-driven, with shared decisions where they matter. Antenatal and post-discharge consults available when needed.
Last reviewed
The hospital stay around birth is a pivotal window, feeding established, jaundice managed, weight on track, the first thorough examination completed. Our care is relationship-based, with shared decisions where they matter. Antenatal and post-discharge consults are available when needed.
How our care fits together
Three phases of care: before birth, at hospital, and after discharge
When needed · Before birth
Antenatal consult
For known concerns, planning ahead, or a conversation before the birth.
The core · At hospital
Newborn care at Frances Perry
Regular review, feeding & jaundice support, weight monitoring, head-to-toe exam, discharge plan.
When needed · After discharge
Post-discharge review
For threads to watch — feeds, weight, jaundice still settling, or a recheck.
consistent paediatric care, present where and when it makes a difference
Relationship-based ethos · Informed shared decisions where they matter
The hospital stay is where most of our care happens. Antenatal and post-discharge consults add value when there’s a specific reason.
The first days
Why the hospital stay matters
The first days are clinically busy. In a short window we:
- establish feeding
- track jaundice, and treat it if it rises
- monitor weight against the normal loss curve
- complete a careful head-to-toe examination
- watch for the uncommon-but-serious conditions, congenital heart disease, infection, metabolic problems, so anything needing treatment is picked up early
Most babies sail through. But which baby will isn’t always obvious on day one, which is where a paediatrician helps — there when needed to support you and your baby through the first days. For what’s likely, monitored, and rare-but-serious, see understanding the risks. And if you’re ever worried about your baby right now, when to seek help sets out exactly what to do.
What the care turns on
Two ideas the care turns on
1. Relationship-based, not just pathology
Newborn care can easily become checklist-driven. We keep the whole baby and family in mind across the stay, and that continuity carries through to a phone call later in the week or a post-discharge review.
2. Informed shared decisions, where they matter
Many newborn decisions are purely clinical, jaundice thresholds, oxygen settings, when to escalate. We make those and explain the reasoning. Where there’s genuine choice, feeding routes, timing of investigations, a borderline finding, we lay out the options and decide together. You know your baby; we bring the clinical context.
The three phases
The hospital stay is the heart of it; antenatal and post-discharge consults are the bookends that some families need.
For a known fetal concern, prematurity or twins, or any question worth the paediatrician’s input before birth.
Full details
Reviews through your stay (daily in Special Care), feeding and jaundice support, weight monitoring, head-to-toe examination, and a clear discharge plan.
Full details
For threads that need a closer eye, refining feeds, slow weight gain, jaundice still settling, or a finding flagged in hospital that wants a recheck.
Full details
Practical bits
- Where: paediatric care at Frances Perry House, Parkville. Antenatal and post-discharge consults at our consulting rooms nearby (Suite 9, Level 2, Royal Women’s Hospital).
- Fees: most consults attract a Medicare rebate; private health rebates apply for hospital stays. See paying your invoice for the worked-through scenarios.
- GP / referring obstetrician: see for referrers for our scope and how to refer.
- The longer picture: what’s likely, what’s monitored, and what’s rare-but-serious in the newborn window: understanding the risks.
- How to book: through the contact page.
Get in touch
Book a consult, ask a question, or send a referral.
