Most NICU graduates need no special medical equipment. Unless you have been told your baby has ongoing medical problems, you can begin to treat her like a healthy newborn.
Some babies are strong enough to go home, but still need the help of some special equipment. The list below describes some of the equipment that parents may need to take with them at discharge.
Apnea monitor: Many babies have episodes of apnea (interruption in breathing). If a baby has not completely outgrown this problem in the NICU or hospital nursery, he may temporarily need an apnea monitor at home. The monitor is connected to the baby by a soft belt that goes around his chest. Parents use the monitor when the baby is sleeping or when they are not watching the baby.
The monitor sounds an alarm if the baby stops breathing or if his heartbeat is too fast or too slow. The baby’s doctor explains what to do when the alarm goes off and when to call the doctor. Parents should not get too frightened if the alarm goes off. Most likely it is a false alarm. False alarms commonly occur when the belt is placed incorrectly or if it becomes loose when the baby moves around. Sometimes a baby can have a brief period of apnea requiring some stimulation to wake up. If the baby has not had any episodes of apnea for a designated period of time defined by the baby's doctor, the doctor will reevaluate and determine whether it is safe to discontinue the monitor.
Feeding tubes and syringe: When some babies go home, they need to continue gavage feedings (the baby is fed breastmilk or formula through a tube placed through the nose or mouth into the stomach or intestines). Babies who may not be able to take in enough food by mouth include those with problems involving the heart, lungs, mouth, esophagus or airway. Parents need feeding tubes and a syringe, which are used to insert the formula or breastmilk. If the baby is not able to take in enough food by mouth for an extended period, she may need to be fed through an opening (gastrostomy) in her stomach, which has a small plastic feeding tube attached to it.
Oxygen: Babies generally are breathing on their own before they go home. But a few babies need additional oxygen for a while. The most common reason babies may need oxygen at home is a lung disorder called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Babies who have had severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)and have required prolonged treatment with mechanical ventilation and oxygen are at risk for BPD, which involves lung damage and scarring. The lungs often heal over the first two years of life. Sometimes BPD can persist and become an asthma-like condition. Common Conditions provides full definitions of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and respiratory distress syndrome.
If a baby needs oxygen, parents will need an oxygen tank (there are several different types, depending on your baby’s needs) and nasal cannula (soft plastic tubing that goes around the baby’s head). The cannula has openings (prongs) that go slightly into a baby’s nose. A home health nurse may visit on a regular basis to check on the baby. When the baby’s doctor decides that the baby is breathing better, the amount of oxygen he receives from equipment will be gradually decreased, then discontinued.
