Rules for coming home

Below are some guidelines from the NICU for after Donovan comes home. This will be hard, but it is necessary to make sure he stays healthy.

Caring for a Medically Fragile Child with CLD (Chronic Lung Disease) & BPD (Brochial Pulmonary Disease)

Upon arriving home, no visitors are permitted for a minimum of 30 days, further at parents' knowledgable discretion.

Once visitors are permitted, when entering the home, hands are to be immediately washed and sanitized, if person has been exposed to any public setting (came from grocery store, drs office, etc) a sterile gown should be worn. Direct contact with the infant should be limited, touching of the face and hands is not recommended as touching of hands and face are the #1 transmittor of germs. If a visitor was been exposed to anyone that has been sick in the last 10 days, or has experienced any cough, congestion or fever in the last 10 days themselves, they should visit at another time, at least 10 days after symptoms cease.

Child should not be brought in public places (with the exception of necessary doctors appointments) for at least the 30 days following discharge. Parents may use discretion at the end of these 30 days, but should still follow above rules for any contact with others. Children are especially high carriers of RSV and other respiratory infections, and contact with any young children should be limited, if not completely avoided. Children in the home should wash hands frequently and change close immediately when returning home from public places, such as school.

Please note that children, especially infants, with chronic lung disease, are at very high risk for infection, including RSV which is a serious, sometimes fatal lung infection caused by contact with someone who has been exposed to this virus. In healthy adults and healthy children RSV presents as a common cold, sniffles and/or cough, which may not appear serious, and is why it is imperative to not unnecessarily expose children with CLD to crowds.


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