Outcome for babies delivered in the neonatal unit in Liverpool Women's Hospital
Most babies who need admission to the neonatal unit do well. The
length of time that a baby is in the unit will depend on the problems he has.
The term baby
There are many reasons why term babies may need to be admitted
to the neonatal unit. For most of these babies their stay is, at most, a few
days although how well they do will depend on the reason for admission. It is
appreciated that parents are keen to be informed on how their baby's condition
and treatment are progressing. Nursing and medical staff endeavour to keep
parents up to date. Parents should not hesitate to ask any questions that they
might have.
The baby born prematurely
As a general rule, a preterm baby will usually go home just
before his expected date of delivery. There are, however exceptions and
some babies stay in the unit for several months. A baby's organs are all formed
very early on in the pregnancy, but it is during the second half of the
pregnancy that major organs such as the brain, lungs, heart and intestines
mature and prepare for life in the 'outside world'. The earlier a baby is born
the less mature and prepared his organs will be to cope with life outside his
mother. In general, the earlier a baby is born the more likely he is to develop
problems and the longer his stay will be.
Role of the Bereavement Team
The Bereavement Team on NICU is
a small group of nurses who have had specialised training in supporting families
through bereavement. When babies die it is a very difficult and sad time, not
only for the families involved, but also for staff; it is very important that
nothing is said or done to make the situation even worse. The two main roles of
the Bereavement Team are to support all staff at the time of death, in
particular with documentation and paperwork, and also to offer support in the
community once the parents have gone home.
The objectives of the team can
be summarised in the following points:
-
To support staff in the clinical area when they
are caring for a baby who is dying
-
To assist staff in the completion of all the
necessary documentation after a baby death
-
To ensure that the family has been contacted by
telephone within a few days of them leaving the unit
-
To offer the family a bereavement visit 2-3 weeks
after the funeral
-
To encourage the family to attend the consultant
appointment
-
To offer the family a second home visit following
the consultant appointment
-
To reflect on the visits and feedback to other
team members in order to maintain some standardisation and facilitate learning
-
To ensure that they get appropriate support
themselves to carry out this role
Follow up
Many of the babies discharged from the neonatal unit are seen
regularly in the outpatient clinic. Their progress is carefully
monitored. In many cases the problems experienced by the child are mild,
for example he may need to wear glasses. In a few babies, however, there are
more serious problems, such as cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy
have problems with co-ordination and balance and sometimes with
learning.
