The Following is link to the 2012 Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Care of Late Pre-Term Infants from The National Perinatal Association.
The Guidelines remind us that:
Of the 500,000 premature babies born each year in the United States, nearly 75% – or 375,000 – of them are born at 34 0/7 through 36 6/7 weeks of gestational age (GA). These infants are referred to as “late preterm infants” (LPI). . . .”
In some hospitals, LPIs account for up to 20% of admissions to the NICU, and LPIs are more likely to be re-hospitalized within the first 2 weeks of discharge.3, 4, 5″
Because of these inherent risks, LPIs require increased surveillance and monitoring of the mother-infant dyad to direct their healthcare needs.
For ease of use, the guidelines are divided into four sections:
1) In-Hospital Assessment and Care (pp 6 – 13)
2) Transition to Out-Patient Care (pp 14 – 21)
3) Short-Term Follow-Up Care (pp 21 – 27)
4) Long-Term Follow-Up Care (pp 28 – 31)
Within each section, the guidelines are further divided into four
subsections: 1) Stability; 2) Screening; 3) Safety; and 4) Support. Each guideline includes recommendations for the Healthcare Team and for Family Education are provided for each guideline included.
For each of the four sections, there are detailed lists of what to do for and with mother and infant.
The Guidelines are from The National Perinatal Association website
Resources:
Multidisciplinary guidelines for the care of late preterm infants [PMC Full Text] [Full Text PDF] [Full Text PDF Download] . RM Phillips et al. J Perinatol. Jul 2013; 33(Suppl 2): S5–S22. Published online Jun 27, 2013. doi: 10.1038/jp.2013.53
