A question every parent will ask is, "When can I take my baby home from the NICU?" This is such a loaded question, and NICU nurses hear this question everyday. Although we don’t have a crystal ball and cannot predict the future, there are a few factors that help us determine the answer to this question.
For the most part, the length of stay will vary for every baby, but a general rule of thumb is that a baby will be discharged around his/her due date. In other words, if a baby was born three months too early, he will typically stay in the NICU for three months. Yes it’s true that some go home much sooner than their due date, and some stay months-to-years past it. Nonetheless, here are a few conditions that usually need to be met before discharge.
TYPICAL NICU DISCHARGE CRITERIA:
A baby's ability to maintain his/her temperature in an open crib (thermoregulation) without any support.
A baby's ability to feed by mouth (though some babies can go home with NG tubes or G-tube feeds).
A baby's ability to breathe without assistance (although some babies may be sent home with oxygen support via low flow nasal cannula or a tracheostomy).
When a baby is titrated off caffeine and outgrows apnea/bradycardia spells (A/B spells).
When a baby is weaned off methadone d/t intrauterine drug exposure & has consecutive neonatal abstinence scores of zero.
When a baby is infection free!
When a baby is consistently gaining weight.
When a baby’s lab values & electrolytes have normalized.
The bottom line is that your baby drives their care, and their discharge date is dependent upon them. Much of the decision making is based on the baby’s ability to eat, breathe, grow, and display signs of readiness for a successful discharge home.
Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear your feedback :)