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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Home care of the high-risk infant
1Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. phummel@lumc.edu
Insights
Discharging infants from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) requires careful planning for home care, especially for those with complex needs. This ensures safe transitions and reduces hospital readmissions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric home healthcare
- Healthcare transitions
Background:
- Infants are increasingly discharged from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with complex health needs and technology requirements.
- Safe and effective home care is crucial for medically stable infants to prevent hospital readmissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline discharge and home care strategies for three infant groups: palliative care, technology-dependent, and stable premature infants needing intensive support.
- To define intermittent and continuous home nursing care options and their goals.
- To emphasize objective discharge criteria and medical stability for successful home care.
Main Methods:
- Review of discharge practices for specific infant populations.
- Definition and outlining of home nursing care models.
- Discussion of discharge criteria and parental support tools.
Main Results:
- Identifies key considerations for discharging infants with palliative care needs.
- Details home care requirements for technology-dependent infants.
- Provides strategies for managing stable premature infants requiring intensive home support.
- Outlines goals and options for home nursing care.
Conclusions:
- Well-planned discharge is essential for infants transitioning from NICU to home.
- Objective criteria and parental education are vital for successful home healthcare.
- Home care models, including nursing support, can effectively manage complex pediatric needs outside the hospital.
Abstract:
Increasingly, infants are discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with unresolved healthcare issues and ongoing technology needs. A well-planned discharge of a medically stable infant is important to assure safe and effective care in the home and to minimize avoidable hospital readmissions. This article addresses the discharge of and home care options for 3 groups of infants who have traditionally been cared for in the hospital. These include infants requiring palliative care, infants who are technology dependent, and those stable premature infants requiring intensive home support. Intermittent and continuous home nursing care options are defined, and the goals of home care nursing are outlined. The importance of objective discharge criteria and medical stability is discussed along with practical tips and strategies to assure success. A teaching tool to assist parents in choosing a home care provider is included.
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