Medical Equipment at Home

Most graduates of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) need no special medical equipment. Unless 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 special equipment. Your hospital discharge team will help you order the equipment your baby needs before she is discharged. They will make sure you know how to use it.

If possible, it is important that you "room in" with your baby before she leaves the hospital so that you're sure you can handle the equipment and procedures your baby needs without help. The list below describes some of the equipment parents may need to take home. Your baby may need other specialized equipment. .

Apnea monitor: Many premature babies have episodes of apnea (interruption in breathing). If your baby has not completely outgrown this problem, he may temporarily need an apnea monitor at home. The monitor is connected to your baby by a soft belt that goes around his chest. You will have to use the monitor when your baby is sleeping or when you are not watching your baby.

The monitor will sound an alarm if your baby stops breathing or if his heartbeat is too fast or too slow. Your baby's doctor will tell you what to do when the alarm goes off and when to call the doctor. Don't be too frightened if the alarm goes off. Most likely it is a false alarm. This commonly occurs 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, the doctor will reevaluate him and determine whether it is safe to discontinue the monitor.

Feeding tubes and syringe: When they go home, some babies 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). Some babies are not able to take in enough food by mouth, including those with certain birth defects involving the heart, lungs, mouth, esophagus or airway. You will need feeding tubes and a syringe, which is used to insert the formula or breastmilk into the tube. If your 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. The opening 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 had severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and 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 your baby's head. The cannula has openings (prongs) that go under your baby's nose. A home health nurse may visit on a regular basis to check on your baby. When the doctor decides that your baby is breathing better, the amount of oxygen your baby receives will be gradually decreased, then discontinued.

September 2007