Following an increase in babies born with drug or alcohol dependencies in Delaware, statewide hospital discharge forms for “high-risk” cases will be amended to ensure that the baby will go home to the safest environment and mom will have the necessary support system in place. Reports delawareonline – The News Journal
(Photo: JENNIFER CORBETT/THE NEWS JOURNAL)
A committee of medical professionals, community leaders and state officials charged with studying and recommending how to care for infants who are born substance-exposed or medically fragile voted to add six conditions that will automatically trigger high-risk medical discharge reports from the hospital to the Delaware Division of Family Services.
The move is one of the first steps the committee, an arm of the Child Protection Accountability Commission, has made to figure out how to best help babies born with the dependencies and their families thrive.
The conditions originally were crafted by the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium, a group that reviews and recommends programs and guidelines concerning maternal and fetal care.
The conditions are:
- Significant noncompliance with care of the infant, such as not visiting or participating in care.
- Mom is using substances, but is not in a treatment program.
- Evidence that drug use impairs caregiving ability.
- Addicted infants must stay in the hospital for more than 30 days.
- Multiple substance use.
- Infant needs medically complex care.
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Source: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/health/2016/01/17/newborn-addictions-rise-triggering-new-hospital-rules/78851632/
Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Edmonton and Area Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Network.