Your Health Coach has prepared this information packet for your family to help explain the medical needs of your newborn as you prepare to leave the hospital. A Health Coach helps families/caregivers adjust to working directly with the health care providers as well as increasing your ability and confidence to care for your infant.
When infants are born before their due date or with health problems, families often need help managing their baby's health care after leaving the hospital. Since they spend the first part of their lives in the hospital, the babies and their families may find it helpful to have extra support.
Your Health Coach will work with your family to teach you to care for your infant, connect with the right doctors and specialists for treatment, and find resources in your area. The role of the Health Coach is as an educator, not as a caregiver.
Planning must start before hospital discharge and continue through followup with the primary care provider. After discharge from the hospital, your infant's care must be well coordinated and clearly communicated to avoid medical errors that could harm the baby.
After your infant is discharged, your Health Coach should follow up with you by phone within a few days to make sure the transition is going well. Your Health Coach will want to know how your baby is doing, whether you have any questions or concerns, if your infant has been to the scheduled appointments, etc.
This information packet contains tips for getting care, understanding signs and symptoms of illness, medicines and immunizations, managing breathing problems, and feeding.
Health Coaches who want to print materials to create customized Family Information Packets should select PDF files for the Cover Page and each relevant topic. These fact sheets can then be assembled into a packet for each family.
- Full Family Information Packet (PDF File, 2.345 MB)
- Cover Page (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Appendix A: Family Information Packet (PDF File, 1.643 MB)
- Getting Care
- Tips for Finding a Pediatrician (PDF File, 246 KB)
- Tips About Health Insurance (PDF File, 260 KB)
- Understanding Signs and Symptoms of Illness
- Medicines and Immunizations
- Medication Safety (PDF File, 254 KB)
- Giving Your Baby Oral Medicines (PDF File, 246 KB)
- Preventing Infection (PDF File, 248 KB)
- Premature Babies Immunization Schedule (PDF File, 246 KB)
- Managing Breathing Problems
- How Can I Manage My Child's Breathing Problems at Home? (PDF File, 211 KB)
- Crib Safety (PDF File, 202 KB)
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) (PDF File, 263 KB)
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) (PDF File, 204 KB)
- Newborn Feeding
- Bottle Feeding (PDF File, 226 KB)
- Breastfeeding Your Baby (PDF File, 255 KB)
- Gastrostomy Tube (G Tube or Button) (PDF File, 142 KB)
- Getting Care
- Appendix B: Clinical Materials to Share With Primary Care Providers (PDF File, 639 KB)
- Diagnoses and Conditions
- Anemia of Prematurity (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Apnea of Prematurity (PDF File, 146 KB)
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Nephrocalcinosis (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDF File, 144 KB)
- Short Bowel Syndrome (PDF File, 151 KB)
- Vision Screening and Retinopathy of Prematurity (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Care, Treatment, and Development
- Medications (PDF File, 152 KB)
- Neurodevelopment (PDF File, 151 KB)
- Ostomy Care (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Sleep in Preterm Infants (PDF File, 147 KB)
- Tracheostomies (PDF File, 165 KB)
- Feeding
- Breast Milk (PDF File, 146 KB)
- Feeding Tubes (PDF File, 163 KB)
- Formula Feedings (PDF File, 173 KB)
- Growth (PDF File, 465 KB)
- Weaning (PDF File, 149 KB)
- Diagnoses and Conditions
- Appendix C: NICU Needs Assessment (PDF File, 144 KB)
- Appendix D: Followup Telephone Survey (PDF File, 191 KB)
