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Shortened hospital stay for low-birth-weight infants: nuts and bolts of a nursing intervention project
1School of Nursing, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Insights
Early hospital discharge for low-birth-weight (LBW) infants is safe and cost-effective when supported by community-based nursing and homemaker services. This program positively influences the home environment and supports families with needs like breastfeeding assistance.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Public health nursing
- Health services research
Background:
- Prolonged hospitalization for low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns increases risks for medical and psychosocial complications.
- Early discharge necessitates robust community-based support systems for vulnerable infants and their families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an early hospital discharge program for LBW infants.
- To assess the impact of community-based nursing and homemaker interventions on the home environment and family well-being.
Main Methods:
- A randomized trial comparing early discharge with standard care.
- Provision of individualized, community-based, in-home public health nursing and homemaker services.
- Tracking of nurse home visits, telephone contacts, and homemaker assistance utilization.
Main Results:
- Early discharge families received significantly more nurse home visits and telephone contacts.
- Over half of early discharge families required and received homemaker assistance in the first 8 weeks.
- Breastfeeding assistance was a frequently identified need among families of LBW infants.
Conclusions:
- Community-based programs offering individualized support and education are safe and cost-effective for LBW infant families.
- Such interventions positively influence the home environment, meeting identified family needs.
- Early discharge coupled with comprehensive community support is a viable model for LBW infant care.
Abstract:
Prolonged hospitalization of low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns places them at increased risk for a number of medical and psychosocial complications. A randomized trial of earlier hospital discharge with community-based nursing follow-up and intervention was performed. Community-based, in-home, public-health nursing and homemaker services were provided on an individualized basis according to assessed need. A significantly higher number of nurse home visits and telephone contacts were made to the intervention families. One of the most identified needs of families of LBW infants was assistance with breastfeeding. More than half of the early discharge families needed and received homemaker assistance during the first 8 weeks after the newborn's discharge from hospital. Results showed that a community-based program that provided individualized support and education for families of LBW infants was safe, cost-effective, and had a positive influence on the home environment.