Preparing for Discharge

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CHECKLIST FOR DISCHARGE

A thorough discharge plan is essential for ensuring your baby’s safety and well-being at home. Your healthcare team will work closely with you to create a comprehensive plan that includes:​

• Medications: Understanding dosages, administration times, potential side effects, and how to properly store medications.

• Feeding Plan: Whether breastfeeding, formula feeding, or tube feeding, ensure clarity on amounts, schedules, and techniques for feeding support.

• Medical Equipment: Training on any necessary home medical devices such as oxygen, apnea monitors, feeding tubes, or suction devices.

• Safe Sleep Practices: Ensuring a safe sleep environment, including placing the baby on their back in a crib without loose bedding or toys to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

• Emergency Contact Information: A list of emergency numbers, including your pediatrician, local emergency services, and any specialists involved in your baby’s care.

• Car Seat Safety: Proper installation and fitting to ensure safe transportation home. A car seat challenge may be required for preterm or medically fragile infants.

• Parental CPR Training: Learning infant CPR and choking response to handle emergencies.

• Home Environment Preparation: Ensuring a smoke-free, clean, and quiet environment that minimizes exposure to potential respiratory irritants.

 

​​​​​Post-NICU Concerns

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INFANT NUTRITION

After NICU discharge, parents often have concerns about their baby’s health and development. Addressing these proactively can ease the transition:

• Tracking weight gain and growth milestones.

• Ensuring adequate intake whether breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or both.

• Recognizing signs of feeding difficulties or intolerance, such as reflux or allergies.

• Learning paced bottle feeding and responsive feeding cues.

• Consulting lactation specialists or dietitians if feeding issues arise.

 

Growth and development

• Regular weight, length, and head circumference monitoring.

• Encouraging appropriate developmental activities to promote cognitive, sensory, and motor skills.

• Identifying early signs of developmental delays, such as difficulties with muscle tone, vision, or hearing.

• Engaging in skin-to-skin contact to promote bonding and regulation of body temperature.

 

Infection prevention

• Hand hygiene and limiting exposure to sick individuals, including avoiding crowded places in the early weeks.

• Keeping up with vaccinations and recommended immunizations, including RSV prophylaxis if indicated.

• Recognizing signs of illness, such as fever, lethargy, difficulty breathing, or changes in feeding patterns, and knowing when to seek medical attention.

• Proper cleaning and sterilization of bottles, pacifiers, and medical equipment.

 

​​​​​Follow-Up Appointments and Screenings

 

YOUR BABY'S HEALTH

After discharge, ongoing medical follow-ups are crucial to monitor your baby’s progress and address any concerns:

• Pediatrician Visits: Routine well-baby checkups, weight monitoring, and developmental evaluations.

• Developmental Screenings: Early intervention assessments to track progress and provide necessary support.

• Therapy Needs: Referral to physical, occupational, or speech therapy if required for motor or feeding difficulties.

• Specialist Appointments: Depending on your baby’s condition, follow-ups with cardiologists, pulmonologists, neurologists, or gastroenterologists may be necessary.

• Vision and Hearing Screenings: Ensuring early detection of potential sensory impairments.

 

​​​​​Emotional and Practical Support

 

YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Transitioning from the NICU can be emotionally challenging for families. Consider:

• Seeking support from NICU parent groups, online communities, or counseling services.

• Utilizing home health services if additional support is needed, such as nursing visits or therapy sessions.

• Establishing a daily routine to create stability and structure for both the baby and caregivers.

• Managing parental stress through self-care, rest, and reaching out for help when needed.

• Understanding postpartum mental health, including recognizing signs of postpartum depression and seeking professional support if necessary.

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