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Neonatal focuses on the health problems babies may experience in the first 28-32 days right after being born, mostly due to premature birth. Respiratory issues, infections, or low blood sugar levels are common issues in babies and require doctors’ prescriptions. However, premature birth of babies can cause several other health issues. Also, delays in treatments can exacerbate children’s conditions. In severe cases, babies may need special care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.
Some hospitals have proper units for neonatal care and can provide appropriate and immediate treatments to babies in need. On the other hand, unavailability or delaying neonatal care can prove fatal in the worst cases in many medical facilities.
Many geographic areas lack proper healthcare facilities, and people have to cover long distances to cater to their health problems. Telehealth helps in addressing neonatal care concerns and improves health outcomes for patients even at remote locations.
Telehealth
Telehealth refers to the medical services that patients can receive without visiting their doctors in person. With the advent of technology and its wondrous developments, patients can timely connect to doctors and take the recommended action that helps in stabilizing their conditions. In severe cases, when patients cannot reach hospitals in time, telehealth seems a blessing. It enables people to get doctors’ assistance in the nick of time. Besides, patients may have a medical history. Consulting their doctors through telehealth is a viable option; instead of going to a new doctor who does not know anything about patients’ past medical records.
Telehealth has improved neonatal care as it has allowed people to receive timely instructions from medical experts. When on-site doctors lack neonatal care expertise and require expert support, telehealth can enable them to consult specialists remotely in real-time. It also offers proper treatment to neonates. Premature babies often suffer from respiratory issues, and doctors have to watch their breathing. Babies have periodic breathing, and neonatologists get trained to distinguish when it is normal and when they need to give medical service. With telehealth, they can alert health practitioners in real-time and stabilize babies’ breathing.
Neonatologists are medical experts trained to handle premature birth health issues. They have gained in-depth insight into neonatology and possess skills to deal with complex and high-risk babies’ health issues. Some of them have earned nrp recertification and have a deep understanding of practices and principles of neonatal resuscitation
Neonatal telehealth has transformed neonatal care. Some of the ways it has improved neonatal care newborn health are as follows:
1. Reduction of Overall Costs of Neonatal Care
Medical care is expensive, and neonatal care can be extremely costly. Telehealth has not only saved patients from the hassle of commuting; it has curtailed medical expenses. By facilitating video connections among medical experts and neonatal specialists, it has dramatically improved neonatal care. People had no choice but to transfer their premature babies to a larger institution, costing them an arm and a leg. With telehealth, they can keep their babies in community hospitals where medical experts use telehealth to connect to neonatologists and provide them with care. Moreover, it helps them keep the baby in proximity to home, eliminating transfer-associated risks.
2. Enhanced Personalized Care
Many premature babies suffer from common health issues, but some may have unique needs. Telehealth enables neonatal experts to learn about the patients’ problems and devise personalized care plans for them. In NICU, most babies are in separate units but in the same room. With telehealth, people can keep their sick babies in isolation and avail neonatologists’ assistance through technology. Experts view babies’ test reports and monitor their conditions through digital means and modify care plans accordingly. They can monitor patients through Bluetooth devices and pulse oximeters and provide personalized assistance from offsite locations.
3. Increased Parents’ Participation
Medical experts say that patients’ participation helps in enhancing their health and improves patients’ health outcomes. When it comes to sick babies, the responsibility lies on parents to give them proper care. Telehealth enables patients’ parents to get an in-depth insight into their child’s conditions and learn about ways of dealing with their issues.
Several babies no longer need to be put in NICU, but they may require additional support at home. Parents can avail themselves of neonatal home telehealthcare to enhance their children’s health. Video conferencing and exchange of reposts through digital means help them keep neonatologists in the loop about babies’ conditions. Telehealth neonatal care leads to improved parents’ self-efficacy and breastfeeding, positively impacting babies’ health.
4. Decreased Exposure of Infection
People had to transfer premature babies to the larger hospitals with a proper NICU to give them appropriate treatment. The transfer exposes babies to many infections and can worsen their conditions. Premature babies are vulnerable and more sensitive and can easily catch diseases. Telehealth has significantly reduced the infection exposure as babies can receive treatment without being brought out of the rooms. In severe cases, single bedside nurses deal with babies’ needs and cater to them through video calls. Neonatologists make house calls via video telemedicine. They also advise nurses on how to take the necessary precautions.
5. Follow-ups
Sick children need proper follow-ups, and its negligence can reverse the medical procedures and exacerbate babies’ conditions. Rather than visiting medical facilities and exposing sick newborns to pollution, parents can have follow-up sessions via teleconference and receive updates on their children’s health.
Conclusion
Giving birth is a stressful experience for mothers, and premature birth of babies puts them in trauma. Newborn babies are sensitive and are prone to catching germs and infections. Still, premature babies may have severe health issues that need constant monitoring. Neonatal care provides premature babies with critical care in NICU. Several medical organizations do not have proper NICU. Still, doctors can connect to neonatologists virtually and take their recommended actions to stabilize newborns’ health. Telehealth has transformed medical functioning and improved neonatal care significantly.
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