It highly depends on gestation, weight, general health and also the season.
With Brendan, 30+1 1545grams, we were advised to avoid public places until at the very least he reached his due date but even then we were told to avoid major shopping centres ect... quite easy when you live in the middle of nowhere our towns pop was approx 50 and thats spread across quite a few farms!! He was a very sick newborn, with several infections, crappy lungs ect. He spent 2-3 weeks in ICU 3-4 weeks in SC and came home at 5w6d, 4w before his dute date. He came home in April.
With Tristan, 34+3 3090 grams, we werent told anything. But he was a very healthy 34 weeker only needing breathing assistance for approx 8 hours. He had no issues at all apart from Jaundice and getting his sucking under control. 1 day in ICU, 5 in SC and 2 on a general ward in my local regional hospital home on day 8, 4w2d before his due date. He was released in June
All the best to your friend, if she does decide to venture out just make sure no-one is touching ect. It's all basically common sense.
Connor will be coming home next week and he'll be full term (40 weeks). I asked the nurse today about taking him out in public etc, she said he'll be fine.
DD was born at 34+1 and came home at 36+2 - we weren't told to avoid any specific areas but she was a 'healthy' prem and only required NGT feeds whilst she developed her suck reflex. As it was August and the weather had still been coldish we were told to always make sure she had at least one more layer than we did... but that is fairly common for term babies when the weather is cool.
We were told by our nurses that it was advisable not to go to crowded places with them in the first few weeks because they come straight from a totally sterile environment and are more at risk of catching colds/flu etc.
Our Charlie got very ill the first winter with THREE bouts of bronciolitis ( most infants can expect, at the most, one bout ) requiring hospitalisation but not oxygen.
It's about what you feel comfortable with, if you never expose them to new people and places then they will never build up an immunity, but kids who had difficulty with breathing during their NICU stays are at an increased risk of developing chest infections etc that most healthy full termers won't.
I would say, expose them now when colds and flu's are less prevalent and just listen to your instincts when your child become ill ( because all kids get sick ) because prem's with lung issues can go from OK to really ill surprisingly quickly.
We also have a really supportive local hospital that takes us seriously when we turn up with concerns because they know how early Charlie was born. Often the larger metropolitan hospitals will have a 'pre registration' you can do with a note from your neonatologist which puts at risk kids straight onto a priority list so you don't have to wait as long in emergency if you come in. Could come in handy!
Good luck bringing home baby!
our towns pop was approx 50 and thats spread across quite a few farms!! He was a very sick newborn, with several infections, crappy lungs ect. He spent 2-3 weeks in ICU 3-4 weeks in SC and came home at 5w6d, 4w before his dute date. He came home in April.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks