Discharge of late preterm newborn: appropriated, controlled…namely safe

Excerpt

Late-preterm newborns accounted for 8.7% of all US births in 2009, while in Italy, according to Euro-Peristat Report 2010, rate of preterm live births between 32 and 36 weeks accounts for 6.4%: therefore late-preterm incidence is around 5% [1]. In the literature is reported that late preterm infants are at increased risk of neonatal mortality and morbidity, including feeding problems, hyperbilirubinemia, hypoglycemia, and respiratory problems. So, in recent years, research has focused on hospital care, with little known about the real needs of care after discharge and in the home setting. However, it’s known that early discharge places these infants at greater risk of complications such as rehospitalizazion, particularly in breastfed infants [2]. …