Home Visiting and the Health of Preterm Infants

Patrick H Casey1,2, Carmen Irby1, Sandra Withers1

  • 11 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|July 20, 2017
PubMed

The results of home visiting programs which target medically fragile low-birth-weight preterm infants (LBWPT) have been inconsistent. We provided nurse/social worker home visits to families of LBWPT infants on a regular schedule. Teams were trained in approaches to improve the health and development of the infants. The completion of immunization series was sigmificantly higher and the infant mortality rates of the home visits childen were significanly lower compared to national and state rates. We used state Medicaid data and examined frequency of hospitalization, emergency department visits, routine and nonscheduled visits to primary care physician, and pharmacy use of the home-visited subjects compared with a propensity-matched group. The home-visited group had more routine and nonscheduled visits but no more hospitalizations or E.D. visits. Home visiting teams improved important markers of child health, including completed immunizations and mortality rate, perhaps by the careful monitoring of health status and assuring health care when needed.

Related Concept Videos

Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting01:29

Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting

Documentation in long-term care facilities and home healthcare settings is crucial for ensuring continuous, coordinated, and comprehensive care for patients. Each setting has its specific documentation processes and tools:
Long-Term Care Facilities
1.6K
Preventive Healthcare Services01:30

Preventive Healthcare Services

Preventive healthcare services keep people healthy via frequent check-ups, screening, and counseling. They primarily aid in disease prevention rather than treating an acute or chronic illness. Preventive treatment also keeps individuals productive and energetic, allowing them to work well into their retirement years. Examples of preventive care services include:
2.2K
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention01:26

Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention

Health promotion allows a person to control the determinants of health, resulting in an improved health status. It enhances the quality of life and reduces premature deaths. Health promotion and illness prevention programs help people make beneficial choices to reduce the risk of disease and disabilities. There are three health promotion and illness prevention levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
15.3K
Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II01:30

Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II

Rural Health Centers
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
1.3K
Primary Healthcare Services01:30

Primary Healthcare Services

Primary care promotes wellness and prevents disease. This care includes health promotion, education, protection (such as immunizations), early disease screening, and environmental considerations. Settings providing this type of healthcare include physician offices, public health clinics, school nursing, and community health nursing.
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
2.5K
Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention01:30

Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention

Nursing management of pneumonia involves promoting airway patency, facilitating rest and conserving energy, encouraging fluid intake, maintaining nutrition, and educating patients.
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
3.7K