BABY, THIS HOSPITAL IS FOR YOU

Parents whose babies are born on December 31 instead of January 1 are given a big break-a tax break. In a similar sense, women who delivered their babies on September 18 rather than the day before were given a break. They were the first to officially deliver in the $21 million Margot Perot Women’s & Children’s Hospital, the new maternity wing at Presbyterian Hospital. The 120-bed addition is touted as one of the top maternity facilities in the country, with state-of-the-art equipment, intense research and development programs and posh amenities.

The hospital supplies what is known in medical circles as “category 3” care, meaning that the hospital is equipped with the equipment and staff to deal with even the most complex medical problems.

The large, up-to-date neonatal intensive care unit is one of the most attractive aspects of the hospital. According to Dr. Nick Harper, director of the unit, the facility should reduce the number of deaths per every thousand at-risk newborns to three. The unit is staffed with an average of two attendants for every infant.

Another hospital drawing card is its extensive infertility clinic. One of the latest (and most controversial) developments in infertility research is in vitro fertiliza- tion, a procedure in which a female’s egg is fertilized by a male’s sperm outside the womb. The fertilized egg is then placed into the uterus in hopes that it will “take” and result in a pregnancy.

Dr. James Madden, head of the hospital’s in vitro program, says that in one out of every seven to 10 couples who want to have a child, the woman will not become pregnant within one year. The clinic hopes to accept its first patient by the end of 1983, and most patients are expected to come by referral. Madden estimates that the patient load during the first year will be between 100 and 200.

A birthing room, specifically designed so that a mother can labor, deliver and recover in one place, is offered at the new facility. The room is equipped with a special bed that adjusts for deliveries as well as a private bathroom, crib unit and television. A room for family members who want to be present during the birth is also included.

Besides the three major medical pluses, other amenities add to the hospital’s appeal: a multilevel, tree-filled atrium, balconies with seats overlooking the atrium and specially designed rocking chairs. The hospital even provides a picnic basket filled with gourmet foods for the new mother’s first night home.