Is there a certain weight that babies need to be

robinsokj

before they let them leave the hospital?  I will be delivering between now and April 5th.  My growth scans have showed them to be off the charts small.  Even if they don't have any other problems, will they stay in the hospital due to low weight?  TIA

mek10976

We were told that 5lbs is desired for discharge, but there are babies that go home smaller than that.  The most important things they need to do are regulate their own body temp and be able to feed from bottle/breast.

TriciaJoy

Our hospital didn't have a set weight. But they need to be able to keep their body temperature up, which generally happens somewhere around 4 pounds.

The criteria for discharge was:

Maintaining body temp
Able to take all feedings by bottle or breast
breathing must be stable and consistent

 

There are some exceptions.. a child could end up with a feeding tube, or an apnea monitor if they were stable but lingering. But temp was non-negotiable. 

lstaylor73

Ditto the pp.  Evan was 3lbs 14oz the day he came home from the NICU but then he dropped to 3lbs 8oz within three days though we never had to take him back in to the NICU.  It maintained his body weight slowly but surely and his temperature. 

Lavender444

Ditto above. No weight requirement. the babies just have to maintain their temps, nipple a good volume for all their feedings and be safe on Room air (meaning they have to keep their O2 Sats above 70% without O2 for 45 minutes.)

SkypekWithoutAC

Ditto pps. There's also a car seat test, where the baby has to be buckled into his/her car seat for an hour with no problems. DD came home at 3lb 14oz and we had to get a Chicco car seat for her which was rated at 4lbs and up. They wouldn't let us take her home in our Graco Snugride, since it was rated 5lbs +.

FutureMrsCuoghi

TriciaJoy:

Our hospital didn't have a set weight. But they need to be able to keep their body temperature up, which generally happens somewhere around 4 pounds.

The criteria for discharge was:

Maintaining body temp
Able to take all feedings by bottle or breast
breathing must be stable and consistent

 

There are some exceptions.. a child could end up with a feeding tube, or an apnea monitor if they were stable but lingering. But temp was non-negotiable. 

 

This.  Ppl were always asking me at what weight could K come home and I always reminded them of a friend of mine who had a full term baby who only weighed 4 1/2lbs.  She was just a tiny baby.  This criteria is not just for preemies though.  The hospital won't let any baby full term or not go home unless they can do the things listed above.  My cousin's baby had to stay in the NICU a week even though she was full term because she was having problems eating.  She ended up coming home on a monitor too.   

dulcinea03

Our NICU's requirements were:

breathing room air for at least 24 hours 

pass the carseat test- try a carseat first, then carbed if seat failed.

5 days without a bradycardia episode

weight more than 2kg

nippling feed amounts that encourage growth

maintain body temp.

 

Twin A was there for 13 days to get up to the weight requirement, Twin B was there 14 days due to bradycardia episodes.

janjag

ours went home a little less than 5lbs.  

 

sweetpea18

The requirements for our nicu were maintaining body temp, nipple all feedings, no bradys/apneas for 7 days, and had to pass the carseat test.  If they were under 5lbs, they had to go home in a carseat that was made for under 5lbs (most start at 5lbs)