My New Born's First Screening In Costa Rica

by: Robelyn M. Yambao

Hola mi amore,
I am here to share my baby's first screening in Costa Rica. After I gave birth, they gave me her Carnet (health book) and instructed me to attend my appointments listed in the carnet. I had 2 appointments in San Ramon Hospital dated December 27  for my baby's audiology test and December 26 for the lactation and screening. The doctor also instructed me to see the EBAIS in our town where we live so they can register my baby to their system and get appointment for her first check-up on the 4th day.

The 4th day after she was born

We went to Palmares Clinic which is the town where we live in. I went straight to where they register the new borns for EBAIS. The attendant checked the envelope I gave to her from San Ramon Hospital. She registered my baby in their system and gave me appointment slip for my post natal and my baby's first check up.
Two days later, we went back to the clinic to meet our doctor. The doctor said we were both healthy and good. I asked him if we need blood tests and he said "no need" but I need to see the doctor assigned in my town which is in Esquipulas. That is the small clinic near our house. So, this coming week and every month or onward like February we're planning to visit the said clinic.

Appointments

We didn't attend the December 26 appointment in San Ramon Hospital because it was 6 a.m. and that day was too cold for me to go out. When we attended the next appointment which was the next day (December 27), the attendant gave us new appointment for that day we missed and that was January 8, 2018.
We attended the January 8 appointment. That was 12 n.n. when we arrived there I gave the Carnet to the information desk. She told me to sit first and wait for the nurse to call us. When it was my baby's turn, we went to a room where the nurse was waiting. She took off the baby's clothes and weighed her. My baby's weight was 3.7 kg from 2.9 kg. It was good the doctor said. The nurse also got her height and recorded it to my baby's Carnet. She instructed me to wait outside again, so we went back to the waiting area as shown in the picture above.
After a few minutes, another doctor called out my baby's name. We went to another room. She checked my baby's body from head to toes. She washed her hands and put her finger inside my baby's mouth. She told me that my baby has a line under the tongue that can cause pain in my nipples when breastfeeding her. She asked me if it's okay for me to let her cut that line, it can benefit me to not feeling the pain anymore in my nipples and my baby to speak later. so, I agreed! After the cutting, she encoded the data in the computer and in her Carnet. She sent me to another room for my baby's screening. The doctor in the last room prepared a paper slip for that test where she got blood sample from my baby's heel and put the blood in the paper's slip. She told me to call their number for the result. 
So, that's all for today! Maybe next week, we gonna visit our doctor for immunization. I hope you've gain a little information from my experiences here in Palmares, Costa Rica. Check my site more often for more updates. Thanks.

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