After childbirth in Italy: discharge, newborn checks and the paediatrician

After the birth, you and your baby move to the postnatal ward. Before discharge, the hospital carries out the scheduled newborn checks and arranges an early follow-up if needed. Ask which documents will be issued for mother and baby before you leave; the child is then enrolled in the health service and assigned a paediatrician.

Stay in the hospital after birth

During the first hours, the obstetric team monitors your blood pressure, bleeding and recovery, while a neonatologist examines the baby. If you are both stable, the baby remains with you on the ward. Daily reviews identify which checks must be completed before discharge and which may continue as outpatient care.

After a caesarean, staff also monitor recovery from anaesthesia, the surgical wound and scheduled test results. The doctor uses these findings to set the discharge date and next review. If follow-up is at a hospital outpatient clinic, make sure the address and appointment date appear in the discharge papers.

Newborn examinations in Italy

The national programme includes an expanded heel-prick blood test for inherited conditions, a hearing check and screening for congenital cataracts. The blood sample is taken between 48 and 72 hours after birth. If you leave earlier, the hospital should give you a place and time to return for sampling.

Additional checks are arranged on the basis of the examination findings, the baby’s measurements and condition at birth, and observations made during the hospital stay.

If the baby needs follow-up for bilirubin, weight, hips or the heart, the discharge papers name the responsible unit and the appointment time. Take this document both to the hospital follow-up and to the first paediatrician appointment.

How the results of screening are reported

The regional screening programme determines how expanded-screening results are communicated. Before discharge, check the contact number recorded in the papers and ask who will contact you, and how, if another sample or further investigation is required.

If you are moving or leaving Italy before screening is complete, give the hospital a current telephone number and address. If the blood sample has not yet been taken, obtain a written appointment naming the service and date, and present it where screening will be completed.

When discharge takes place

The hospital sets the discharge date according to the mode of delivery, your condition, the baby’s condition and completion of the required examinations. Before leaving, you receive your own discharge summary, the baby’s discharge papers, follow-up appointments and the unit’s contact details. The gynaecologist, paediatrician and any service completing a scheduled check will need these documents.

If you are discharged before the baby, ask for the visiting arrangements and the conditions for the baby’s discharge. If the baby is transferred to another hospital, obtain the unit name, address, telephone number and named contact so that you can receive updates and prepare the documents required for discharge.

Postnatal care for the mother in Italy

After discharge, continue follow-up at a public family clinic — consultorio familiare — or with your gynaecologist. Bring the discharge summary, which records the mode of delivery, treatment provided and follow-up required. The maternity unit or specialist will set the appointment date.

For an urgent obstetric problem, contact the maternity unit or emergency department; if life is at risk, call 112. The regional out-of-hours medical service deals with non-emergency concerns during evenings and weekends. Check its current number and coverage area before leaving hospital.

Postpartum midwifery

The public family clinic can see you and the baby after discharge. The midwife reviews the hospital’s instructions, decides whether a gynaecological assessment is needed and issues further referrals where indicated. Call the clinic for your home address with the date of birth to arrange the appointment.

Home visits are available through local programmes and therefore vary even between neighbouring areas. When you first call, ask whether your address is covered, which day the visit is scheduled and which discharge summaries to prepare. In Rimini, the local service provides home visits in specified circumstances.

Help with feeding after childbirth

Support for breastfeeding, mixed feeding or formula feeding is available from the maternity unit and family clinic. Take the baby’s discharge summary and weight records and ask when the next review should take place. If the maternity unit has already arranged a check, attend on the date shown in the discharge papers.

Rimini. Confirm how to book and whether the service covers your home address. The service sees the baby at around 30–40 days old and arranges a home visit where indicated.

Choosing a paediatrician and the baby’s first appointment

Once the birth is registered and a tax number assigned, enrol the child in the public health service and choose a family paediatrician. Depending on the region, this is done through the local health office or an online account. When making the choice, ask how appointments are booked and request the earliest available date.

Rimini. After a routine discharge, the first appointment with the chosen family paediatrician is recommended during the first week of life, followed by a family-clinic appointment on day 10–15. If the baby needs earlier monitoring of weight, jaundice or another finding, follow the date in the hospital discharge papers.

For the first appointment, bring the baby’s discharge summary, tax number, screening results and hospital appointments. The paediatrician reviews the birth and discharge weights, completed examinations and dates of any outstanding checks, then sets the next review. If the tax number has not yet arrived, ask whether the office can see the baby with confirmation of birth registration.

How to contact a paediatrician

The family paediatrician provides routine checks and issues referrals and prescriptions. When registering, note how appointments are booked, the hours for telephone advice and the arrangements for urgent visits. Outside those hours, use the out-of-hours medical service or paediatric emergency department under the regional rules.

If the child has not yet been registered, use the hospital outpatient appointment named in the discharge papers. In an emergency, paediatrician registration is not required: attend the emergency department or call 112.

Your baby’s first vaccinations in Italy

The basic infant calendar begins on day 61: the first doses of the hexavalent and pneumococcal vaccines are offered at the beginning of the third month; rotavirus vaccination can start from week six. The exact schedule depends on the vaccine used and the regional service.

Rimini. Childhood vaccinations are provided by the local paediatric service at Via Coriano 38. The appointment is arranged after the child is registered; current telephone numbers and opening hours appear on the service page.

The first two weeks after being discharged in Italy

During the first days, complete the hospital’s scheduled checks and file the declaration of birth if the hospital has not already accepted it. Once the tax number is assigned, enrol the child in the health service and choose a paediatrician. In Rimini, the usual first paediatric check is during the first week, followed by a family-clinic appointment on day 10–15.

The dates in the discharge papers take priority over this general pathway. If the hospital orders another blood sample, hearing check, bilirubin test or weight review, attend the named unit with the baby’s discharge summary. Give the result to the chosen paediatrician so that follow-up continues with the relevant information.

Psychological assistance after childbirth

For concerns about your emotional wellbeing after childbirth, contact the public family clinic. It can refer you to a psychologist or mental-health service where necessary. Give the date of delivery and your home address. If you or the baby is in immediate danger, call 112 or attend the emergency department.

Registration of the child before and after discharge

File the declaration of birth with the maternity hospital within three days or with the municipality within ten days. Confirmation of registration is needed for the tax number, health card and choice of paediatrician. If the parents are not married, ask about recognition of the child in advance and bring any antenatal-recognition documents already issued.

Frequently asked questions after childbirth in Italy