A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 83
Going home
Getting help at home
You are never alone when you take your premature baby home. There is a
wealth of knowledge and support which you can access. Your paediatrician
or GP can help you as can your maternal health nurse.
Pharmacists are also a good source of information. There are also many
support groups that you can join which have been specifically set up to
provide support and information to parents of premature or sick babies.
To find out more about our NICU Connections At Home, see page 14.
Services
When your baby’s discharged from hospital, a group of health
professionals will continue to advise you on issues like feeding,
growth, immunisation and development as well as general
baby care. You will have access to them through your hospital
or the local community health team.
It is important to remember that job titles and services may vary from
hospital to hospital and you may not come across all the different types of
healthcare workers listed below.
When you go home with your baby, you will be informed about the types of
help available to you and who to contact for specific issues. Make sure you
have a list of useful contact numbers in a handy place.
Paediatrician: A paediatrician provides specialist medical care to infants,
children and adolescents. Paediatricians must do an extra six years of
training after their medical degree. There are general paediatricians
and specialist paediatricians such as paediatric cardiologists,
gastroenterologists, developmental paediatricians and of course
neonatologists.
You may require a paediatrician if:
• Your GP or maternal health nurse advises you to see one
• You’re worried about your baby’s health or development and
want a specialist’s opinion.
You will need to bring a referral from your GP with you on your first visit, your
Child Health Record and any other reports/results that you have.
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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