The process of discharging premature babies from the neonatal unit is very important, but home care is even more important.
Care of Premature Babies
After the baby is discharged from intensive care, the parents of premature babies go through three different periods from the moment the baby comes home. The first period covers the first 6 weeks at home and is called the “euphoria period”.
The second period covers a period of 6 months and during this period, families think that the baby is not developing, in other words, it is called the period of unhappiness. In the last period, the acceptance process begins and parents accept their children as they are and return to normal life.
How Should Home Care Be?
From the moment the baby comes home, premature baby care is a very important and sensitive point. Parents should act consciously and carefully for the baby to grow and develop. Premature babies differ from babies born on time. Their body temperature may drop.
This is because the fat layers under the skin are not yet mature and there is a high possibility of hypodermia. In order to prevent this, the clothes worn should warm the baby and if necessary, double socks should be worn to cover all parts of the body. The room temperature should be kept as constant as possible and the baby’s temperature should be measured regularly.
Babies born prematurely need more nutrition than normal babies. Feeding times should be organized and the baby should be fed by gavage if sucking has not developed.
