Issues faced by parents in taking care of the prematurely born child after hospital discharge

Background. The nature of health and care-related problems in preterm babies requires specific knowledge, competences and skills from the parents or carers, especially once the child has been discharged from hospital. It is also necessary to ensure that highly-specialised care provided to the child during their stay at the hospital is continued. Objectives. The aim of the the study was to determine the issues of parents in taking care of a prematurely born child after hospital discharge. Material and methods. Study participants were parents of preterm babies examined at the Outpatient Centre at the Neonatology Clinic of the University Hospital in Kraków. The study involved 60 respondents. The research method used was a diagnostic survey with the use of an original questionnaire. Results. Most parents did not feel theoretically or practically prepared to take care of the child after hospital discharge, and at the time of discharge from hospital the respondents usually felt happy and anxious at the same time. The respondents thought that biggest issue with regard to looking after a premature baby was feeding and nursing the child, as well as ensuring continued provision of highly-specialised care, mainly rehabilitation. Conclusions. The concept of holistic care provided to newborns at intensive neonatological care units requires the medical team to develop and implement educational programmes for parents, directed at the individual needs of the child and their parents. Provision of support to the parents at every stage of the child’s hospitalisation, as well as after hospital discharge, should be considered a necessity.