Discharge of the neonate from hospital to home

Thorough discharge planning, which starts when the infant is admitted to the neonatal unit, is fundamental to the smooth transition home. Discharge planning needs to adopt a two-way communication strategy that enables a range of health professionals to provide parents with support that embraces educational, medical and emotional aspects of care. High-quality discharge planning means that parents are far more likely to feel able to look after their infant in the home environment, confident in the knowledge that they know who to contact should the need arise. This chapter discusses the specific areas that need to be considered, both prior to discharge and when the infant is at home (Tables 13.1 to 13.5).