Support for families after prolonged admission to a neonatal intensive care unit.

Many parents whose baby has been a patient on the neonatal unit experience a range of complex emotional and practical problems following discharge home. Health visiting teams play a significant role in helping these families rehabilitate in the community. After discharge from the neonatal unit, parents frequently need support in a number of specific areas that health visiting teams are well placed to provide. Families may need additional support with feeding, child development and accessing local services, as well as knowing where to meet other parents with babies. Health visiting teams are a key component in mitigating some of the potential negative outcomes for families with babies who have experienced illness or premature birth.