Postdischarge Services for Low-Birth-weight Infants

Efforts to improve infant mortality and morbidity should focus on preventing low birth weight and improving infant care. Although preventing low birth weight is the ultimate goal, nurses also must improve the care of infants who are born with low birth weights. This article examines postdischarge care for these infants and the nurse's role in providing follow-up services. Nurses have unique opportunities to influence infant well-being directly through continued contact with families and through interventions that support infant caregivers. However, continued research is needed to provide nurses with information about how follow-up for low-birth-weight infants can be best provided.