The first days and weeks of your baby’s life are filled with joy, wonder, and often overwhelming questions as you navigate feeding, sleep, diaper changes, and endless concerns about whether everything is normal. My Beverly Hills practice provides comprehensive newborn care services designed to support new parents through this incredible transition with expert medical guidance, compassionate reassurance, and accessible support whenever you need it. From hospital visits at Cedars-Sinai to home visits in your first days together, I’m committed to ensuring your baby thrives while helping you feel confident and prepared for parenthood.
Newborn care goes far beyond quick examinations – it’s about building relationships with families during one of life’s most transformative experiences. I provide thorough newborn assessments, checking for medical concerns; extensive lactation support, ensuring feeding success; jaundice monitoring; preventing complications; developmental guidance; helping you understand your baby’s behavior and needs; and new-parent education, covering everything from umbilical cord care to recognizing signs of illness that require attention. Beverly Hills families trust me to care for their most precious new arrivals with the medical expertise, gentle touch, and patient communication that make the newborn period less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone.
I provide hospital newborn visits at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of Beverly Hills’ premier maternity hospitals, seeing babies within 24 hours of delivery and again before discharge. These hospital visits include comprehensive physical examinations and screening for congenital abnormalities, heart murmurs, hip dysplasia, jaundice, feeding adequacy, and any concerns identified by hospital staff or parents. I review delivery details, birth weight, APGAR scores, and any complications affecting your baby, ensuring a seamless transition from obstetric to pediatric care with a complete understanding of your newborn’s medical background from their first moments of life.
Hospital visits also involve extensive parent education on normal newborn behavior, feeding expectations (whether breastfeeding or formula feeding), diaper output indicating adequate intake, safe sleep practices following American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, umbilical cord care, circumcision care when applicable, and recognizing warning signs requiring immediate medical attention. I answer the countless questions new parents have, address concerns about things like newborn rashes or irregular breathing patterns that are usually normal, discuss the newborn screening and hearing tests performed by the hospital, and schedule follow-up appointments to ensure your baby receives appropriate monitoring after hospital discharge. Beverly Hills families delivering at Cedars-Sinai appreciate having their chosen pediatrician visit in the hospital, establishing our relationship from your baby’s earliest days and providing continuity of care as you transition home.
Breastfeeding is natural, but doesn’t always come easily, and many new mothers struggle with latch difficulties, low milk supply concerns, nipple pain, confusion about feeding frequency, and anxiety about whether babies are getting enough milk. My newborn care services include comprehensive lactation support starting in the hospital and continuing through home visits and office consultations, helping mothers establish successful breastfeeding relationships. I assess latch and positioning, identify tongue ties or other anatomical issues impeding adequate feeding, teach techniques to improve milk transfer, address nipple pain and damage, discuss supply-building strategies when production seems inadequate, and provide evidence-based guidance to distinguish standard feeding patterns from concerning insufficient intake.
Lactation support also addresses common challenges, including engorgement management, nipple confusion when combining breast and bottle feeding, nursing strikes, growth spurts that trigger cluster feeding, pumping strategies for mothers returning to work, supplementation decisions when medically necessary, and navigating conflicting advice from family, friends, and lactation consultants. While I’m not a certified lactation consultant, my medical training and extensive experience supporting Beverly Hills mothers with breastfeeding challenges allow me to identify and address the most common issues, referring to specialized lactation consultants when complex problems require intensive intervention. My goal is to help mothers who want to breastfeed succeed, while supporting families who choose or need formula feeding without judgment, ensuring every baby receives optimal nutrition regardless of feeding method, and respecting parental choices and circumstances that affect feeding decisions.
Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, or combining both, I provide comprehensive feeding guidance to ensure your newborn receives adequate nutrition for optimal growth and development. For breastfed babies, I discuss feeding frequency (typically 8-12 times per 24 hours initially), hunger cues indicating when babies need to eat, signs of adequate feeding including audible swallowing and satisfaction after nursing, expected diaper output confirming adequate intake (at least 6 wet diapers and several stools daily after milk comes in), and addressing concerns about feeding duration, frequency, or patterns that worry parents but are usually normal newborn behavior.
For formula-fed babies, guidance includes selecting appropriate formulas, preparing bottles safely by following proper mixing and sterilization techniques, feeding volumes and frequencies suitable for age and weight, paced bottle-feeding techniques to prevent overfeeding and gas, and recognizing signs of formula intolerance that require formula changes. I also address combination feeding strategies, supplementation decisions when breast milk alone isn’t adequate, introducing bottles to breastfed babies without causing nipple confusion, and pumping schedules for mothers building supply or returning to work. Beverly Hills parents receive detailed feeding plans tailored to their specific situations, with follow-up support available whenever questions or concerns arise. Feeding challenges shouldn’t leave new parents feeling alone, confused, or worried about their baby’s nutrition and growth during these critical early weeks.
Newborn jaundice affects most babies, occurring when bilirubin – a yellow pigment from the breakdown of normal red blood cells – accumulates faster than immature livers can process it. While mild jaundice is common and harmless, severe jaundice can cause serious complications, including brain damage if untreated, making careful monitoring essential during the first week of life. I assess jaundice levels by visual examination and, when indicated, by transcutaneous bilirubin screening or blood tests, determining whether levels are within safe ranges or require treatment. Risk factors I evaluate include prematurity, blood type incompatibility, bruising from delivery, feeding difficulties causing dehydration, and a family history of significant jaundice.
Treatment for concerning jaundice levels includes optimizing feeding to promote bilirubin excretion through frequent stools, phototherapy (special blue lights that break down bilirubin), which can often be arranged at home for mild to moderate elevations, and, rarely, hospital admission for intensive phototherapy or other interventions when levels are dangerously high. During newborn visits and follow-ups, I carefully monitor jaundice progression, ordering bilirubin levels when visual assessment suggests concerning elevations and ensuring appropriate intervention before complications develop. Beverly Hills’ parents appreciate my vigilant jaundice monitoring because early detection and treatment of significant hyperbilirubinemia prevents the rare but devastating neurological damage that can result from untreated severe newborn jaundice, while reassuring parents when mild jaundice requires only observation as it naturally resolves over time.
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most significant transitions, and new parents deserve a comprehensive education preparing them for the realities of newborn care. My newborn services include extensive parent education covering safe sleep practices including back sleeping, firm mattresses, room sharing without bed sharing, and avoiding loose bedding or stuffed animals in cribs; umbilical cord care keeping the area clean and dry until it falls off naturally; bathing techniques and frequency appropriate for newborns with delicate skin; diaper rash prevention and treatment; typical newborn physical characteristics like vernix, lanugo, newborn acne, and stork bites that worry parents but are benign; and understanding newborn behavior including sleep patterns, crying, reflexes, and developmental expectations.
Education also addresses recognizing illness signs requiring medical attention, including fever over 100.4°F in babies under 3 months, which always requires immediate evaluation; breathing difficulties; extreme lethargy or irritability; feeding refusal; decreased urination; persistent vomiting; and other concerning symptoms. I teach parents about car seat safety, creating safe home environments, managing visitors while protecting newborns from illness, understanding newborn screening tests and vaccination schedules, and self-care for parents, because your well-being directly impacts your ability to care for your baby. Beverly Hills families receive written materials, trusted resource recommendations, and, most importantly, access to me for questions and concerns that inevitably arise when you’re home with your newborn, wondering whether what you’re experiencing is normal or requires attention from your pediatrician.
Behavioral health services require a pediatrician who combines medical expertise with genuine empathy, patience, and understanding of the complex factors affecting children’s emotional well-being. My Beverly Hills practice offers comprehensive mental health screening, evaluation, and management within the trusted relationship we’ve already built through your child’s medical care, eliminating the need to start over with unfamiliar specialists for initial concerns. I know your child’s complete health history, family dynamics, and developmental trajectory, which provides valuable context when assessing behavioral and emotional symptoms.
Parents appreciate my balanced, evidence-based approach that neither dismisses legitimate concerns nor rushes to medicate every struggling child. I take time to understand the whole picture, explore all contributing factors, and develop individualized treatment plans that may include behavioral strategies, therapy referrals, medication when appropriate, school advocacy, and family support. Beverly Hills families trust me with their children’s mental health because I create a safe, non-judgmental space where kids can express complicated feelings and parents can discuss sensitive concerns without shame. Behavioral health is integrated seamlessly into comprehensive pediatric care at my practice, ensuring your child’s emotional and psychological needs receive the same excellent attention as their physical health.
“Mental health challenges don’t mean something is wrong with your child – they mean your child needs support, just like a broken bone needs a cast. I’m here to provide that support with compassion, expertise, and the belief that every child can thrive when given proper care.”
“Anita Sabeti, MD.”Â
I visit newborns at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center within 24 hours of delivery and again before hospital discharge, typically 24-48 hours after birth for uncomplicated vaginal deliveries or 2-3 days for cesarean sections. After you go home, I will provide a home visit within 2-3 days of hospital discharge to check your baby’s weight, feeding, jaundice, and overall adjustment while answering your questions in the comfort of your Beverly Hills home. Following the home visit, I schedule an office appointment around 2 weeks of age, and then continue well-child visits at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, and regularly throughout the first year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations, ensuring comprehensive monitoring of your baby’s growth, development, and health.
My hospital newborn visits are primarily at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where I have privileges and most Beverly Hills families deliver. If you provide services at other hospitals in the Los Angeles area, I can often arrange visits, depending on the location and hospital policies, although this may require additional coordination. Alternatively, I provide comprehensive home visits within days of discharge, ensuring your baby receives thorough examination and care, even if hospital visits aren’t feasible. The most important aspect is seeing your newborn within 2-3 days of hospital discharge, regardless of the delivery location, so we can assess feeding, weight, jaundice, and any concerns that require early intervention during this critical period of newborn life.
Breastfeeding challenges are prevalent, and I provide extensive lactation support during hospital visits, home visits, and office appointments to help you succeed. I assess latch and positioning, identify anatomical issues such as tongue ties that impede adequate feeding, teach techniques to improve milk transfer and comfort, and provide evidence-based guidance on building a milk supply, managing pain, and determining whether supplementation is medically necessary. For complex lactation issues that require intensive support beyond my scope, I refer you to excellent lactation consultants throughout Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, while continuing to monitor your baby’s weight gain and overall health. My goal is to help mothers who want to breastfeed achieve their goals while supporting formula feeding when necessary, without judgment or shame.
Signs your baby is getting adequate nutrition include at least 6-8 wet diapers daily after milk comes in, several stools per day (though stool frequency decreases over time), contentment between feedings with periods of alert wakefulness, appropriate weight gain after initial newborn weight loss (babies typically lose 7-10% of birth weight then regain it by 2 weeks), and during breastfeeding, audible swallowing indicating milk transfer. Concerning signs suggesting inadequate intake include fewer than 6 wet diapers daily, dark concentrated urine, persistent crying and fussiness, lethargy and excessive sleeping, poor feeding interest, and excessive weight loss or failure to regain birth weight appropriately. During early visits, I thoroughly assess feeding effectiveness, carefully monitoring weight trends and intervening quickly if intake appears inadequate.
Fever in newborns under 3 months old is always considered serious and requires immediate medical evaluation. If your baby’s rectal temperature reaches 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, contact me immediately, regardless of time of day, and I’ll direct you to appropriate care, which often involves emergency department evaluation, blood work, and sometimes hospital admission for observation and antibiotics while ruling out serious infections. Newborns have immature immune systems, making bacterial infections particularly dangerous, and fever is often the only sign of serious illness in young babies who can’t communicate symptoms. Never give fever-reducing medications to babies under 3 months without specific medical direction, and always use rectal thermometers for the most accurate temperature readings in newborns and young infants.
Yes, newborns typically lose 7-10% of their birth weight in the first few days of life due to fluid shifts and the time required for breast milk to come in fully. This weight loss is expected and normal. However, I monitor weight carefully during early visits to ensure loss doesn’t exceed 10% and that babies regain their birth weight by approximately 2 weeks of age. Excessive weight loss, slow weight regain, or continued weight loss beyond the first few days can indicate feeding problems, dehydration, or underlying medical issues that require intervention. During home visits and early office appointments, weight checks are a critical part of newborn assessment. I provide guidance on optimizing feeding if weight patterns concern me or fall outside the expected ranges for healthy newborn weight changes.
The first vaccine most newborns receive is the Hepatitis B vaccine, typically administered in the hospital before discharge. The next round of vaccines is administered at the 2-month well-child visit, including DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), IPV (polio), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), PCV (pneumococcal), and the second dose of Hepatitis B. I follow the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommended immunization schedule, which protects children against serious diseases. Some Beverly Hills parents have questions or concerns about vaccines, and I’m always happy to discuss vaccine safety, efficacy, ingredients, and the importance of immunizations during appointments. My goal is to ensure that every child receives recommended vaccines on schedule for optimal protection, while addressing parents’ concerns with evidence-based information and respectful communication about this important health decision.
Stool patterns vary tremendously in newborns depending on the feeding method. Breastfed babies typically have frequent yellow, seedy, loose stools – sometimes after every feeding initially. However, frequency often decreases as babies mature, and some exclusively breastfed babies go days between stools without concern once past the first month. Formula-fed babies usually have firmer, tan-colored stools 1-4 times daily. In the first few days, babies pass meconium (dark, tarry first stools), transitioning to yellow stools as feeding establishes. Concerning stool patterns, include absence of stools in the first 24-48 hours, suggesting intestinal problems, hard pellet-like stools indicating constipation, bloody or black stools after meconium passes, white or clay-colored stools suggesting liver issues, and consistently watery, foul-smelling stools indicating possible infection or intolerance.
Newborns have immature immune systems, making them vulnerable to infections that could be serious or life-threatening. I recommend limiting visitors during the first few weeks, requiring anyone holding your baby to wash hands thoroughly first, avoiding visitors with any illness symptoms, including colds, coughs, or fever, ensuring close family and caregivers who will have frequent contact are current on pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination, and trusting your parental instincts about protecting your baby from exposure. RSV, flu, and other respiratory viruses are particularly dangerous for young infants, making visitor restrictions during peak illness seasons especially important. Beverly Hills families often face social pressure around visitors. Still, your baby’s health should always take priority, and setting boundaries about visitor timing and health requirements protects your newborn during their most vulnerable early weeks.
Postpartum depression and anxiety affect many new mothers, and your mental health directly impacts your ability to care for your baby and enjoy early parenthood. During newborn visits, I screen for postpartum mood disorders, and I encourage you to be honest about your emotional state even when it’s difficult to admit you’re struggling. Warning signs include persistent sadness or crying, anxiety interfering with daily functioning, difficulty bonding with your baby, scary, intrusive thoughts, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or sleep beyond normal newborn care disruption, and thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, please tell me immediately so I can connect you with appropriate mental health support, monitor your wellbeing, and ensure you receive treatment protecting both your health and your baby’s safety. Postpartum depression is common, treatable, and not your fault – you deserve support and help recovering.
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