Towards the release from Pagia

Hello, your child is about to be released from puja. It's the day you've been waiting for. Excitement, joy, and anticipation of what's to come characterize this day, but also - stress, anxiety about what will happen next, how we'll manage, and more. All these are legitimate feelings, which usually appear together with the joy.

The Pagiya team will inform you in advance about what to bring for the release. The most important of all is the easy basket (or age-appropriate safety seat). Some hospitals will require you to see him before discharge. The basket is important for keeping your child safe in the car. As parents who have gone through the hardships of Pagia, we are convinced that you will understand the importance of maintaining the maximum safety of your child.

It is highly recommended to come to the release with a camera to record the moments of your child's extra "birthday". Some parents feel the need to bring a gift, monetary donation, cake or refreshments to the team, as a sign of gratitude. But of course, there is no obligation. Each to the best of his ability and desire. In a few hours you will be alone with your child, probably for the first time. There are hospitals that practice one of the parents sleeping overnight in a separate room with the premature baby before discharge, but due to space and budget constraints (and possibly due to other reasons) this essential and important action is not carried out in every hospital in Israel. Some premature babies have a conversation with a senior doctor or discharge nurse before discharge. In the conversation, the last details are clarified for the parents: which follow-ups should be attended, a summons to the first appointment at the regional milk drop, what to give the child to eat, specific health problems (if any), vaccinations, special treatments and more. If you need it, you will be given permission to rent a monitor, breast pump or scale from "Yad Sarah". If the need arises for any other equipment - you must act according to the instructions before the release. If the child is released between November and March and is eligible for preventive treatment against the virusRSV,

Make sure to find out with Fegia several days before the release if you have ordered the vaccinations for him. Every premature who is eligible according to the medicine basket must receive the above-mentioned vaccine on the day of discharge from the hospital and failure to order on time may delay the discharge. In some cases, instructions are given to borrow medical equipment prior to discharge home. In such a case, contact the treating health fund and find out where the equipment can be borrowed.

Corrected age

The rate of development of each baby is individual and extends over different levels: gross motor, fine motor, language/communication, play and more. Development in one branch does not necessarily guarantee development in the other branches, therefore the only one who can check your child's development in the best way is a professional expert in the field. The development of premature babies may usually be slower than the development of full-term babies, so it is customary to "correct" the age of premature babies by subtracting the incomplete weeks of pregnancy from their chronological age (the day they were born). So, for example, for a baby born at week 30 of pregnancy, we subtract 10 weeks from the chronological age - so at the age of 4 chronological months, his corrected age will be only one and a half months.

It is customary to fix the baby's age up to two years old. The earlier the premature baby is born, the greater the developmental gap he has to complete. All developmental tests and growth indicators should be corrected accordingly in order to give the piglet the "discount" it deserves, however - too many concessions may cover up a problem that needs to be addressed. Problems that are discovered at an earlier stage can usually be solved more effectively, so we strongly recommend that you listen to the professionals

and cooperate with them for the sake of your child. After an initial diagnosis, you will receive, if necessary, a referral to a professional. With all the difficulty in doing so, try not to compare the development of your own premature baby with the neighbor's baby who was born on time. This comparison is not fair and is not correct for your preemie or you, and will only cause frustration.

CPR and first aid course

Who like you understands the importance of every second, of a quick response in the event of a disaster, who like you knows how precious these little lives are to us and how fragile they are. We recommend that every parent and parents of premature babies in particular, take a CPR and first aid course for babies. The course provides a basis for quick reactions that must be carried out in the event of an emergency, gives you clarity regarding the manner of behavior in an emergency situation, gives you another sense of security when you are out of town with your children at home, this course can save lives!

If you have taken a CPR course in the past, remember that there are different courses for different ages and also that the time that has passed may have made you forget the main points of what was learned, so a refresher course must be done once every two years.

Some preemies offer this course for free, as part of the discharge procedure. If this is not the case in the town where you are staying, you can find out about the CPR courses at the milk drops, the MDA, the hospitals as well as voluntary organizations that deal with this. Most of them charge a nominal amount of money for the course.

Remember - you must pass a CPR course for babies. Other age is not relevant in this case.

monitors

For the most part, you will not use the monitors as you are used to at Pagya (except in specific cases, according to Pagya's guidance). On the website of the Ministry of Health there are updated instructions for preventing "death in the cradle" and it is very important to read and update accordingly.

Choosing a doctor and getting to know each other

For babies in general and premature babies in particular, it is recommended that the regular doctor be a doctor who has specialized in children, that is, a pediatrician. Sometimes in your area of residence there will be a pediatrician specializing in premature babies (neontologist) available to you, but in any case - a pediatrician is the recommended address. Close to discharge, go to the HMO branch in your area of residence, choose and ask to speak with the designated pediatrician. Let the clinic know that Peg is joining the clinic and it is possible that for the first appointment you will need to queue longer than usual. Even before the initial meeting, it is advisable to talk to the clinic and offer to send the medical documents to the pediatrician ahead of time. This action can greatly shorten the duration of the initial visit and this is in the common interest of the family, the baby and the pediatrician (arrive on time and at the exact time for appointments! Premature babies are a population that "sucks up time" for the doctor, respect this important time and make good use of it). Coordinate expectations with the pediatrician and check with him when it is essential to arrive with the baby and when it is possible to be satisfied with arriving with summaries, requests for prescriptions/referrals and updates on the follow-up status.

Remember, that apart from the pediatrician, there will be cases where you will need the services of the HMO/emergency centers in order to perform chest x-rays/blood tests, etc. - check the options in your area of residence so that when needed - the information will already be at your disposal. Keep an organized binder and a calendar/diary in which all follow-up appointments and referrals are listed, even if the doctor has issued a referral for you, it is very difficult for the medical staff to track the actual performance of the referral, so be organized and organized on this important issue.