Babies born pre-term, or who have a low birth weight, can face a range of challenges and are initially put under the expert care of the Neonatal team in Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.
When they make progress and achieve milestones including breathing on their own, feeding, swallowing and achieving a healthy weight, they can be assessed as stable and ready to go home.
But for many of the babies, regulating their body temperature can still be a challenge.
To help the babies get home safely, families are given a heated mattress for their child and are supported by NHS Fife’s Neonatal Community Team.
The team work with the families, training them how to use the mattress following safe sleep advice, visiting them regularly and supporting them with all of their needs to make the transition.
Beth Black, Community Neonatal Liaison Nurse, explained so far this year 19 babies have settled at home with a heated mattress.
She said: “The need for what we call thermal support for the babies can prolong a stay in hospital for otherwise stable pre-term or low birth weight babies.
“Supporting them home with the heated mattress helps to reduce hospital stay for babies who are stable and can help promote family centred care too.
“We know the transition from the expert care they receive in the hospital to going home can be an anxious time for parents, so we give full support tailored to the needs of each baby and family.
“It’s the most rewarding part of our jobs when we see the wee ones thrive and help their families build confidence.
“Although the babies have often had a challenging start, we say they are small but mighty with a fantastic fighting spirit.
“It’s great to be able to support the babies and their families in this next important step in their journey.”
Fife mum Elise Osborne, gave birth to her baby Emmie at 31 weeks, who weighed just 4 lbs.
After spending time in the Neonatal Unit, Emmie was assessed as ready to go home for the first time a few weeks later.
The family were supported by the Community Neonatal team and were given a heated mattress to help Emmie regulate her body temperature.
Elise said: “I was so nervous at first to bring Emmie home, because the care we got in the hospital was amazing and we really got to know so many of the amazing team who looked after us, so it was really emotional.
“But Beth and Kirsty were so supportive – they were really unbelievable and helped me so much. They gave me the confidence I needed after the challenging start we had.
“Now Emmie is nearly six months old and nearly weighs a stone. We’re looking forward to our first Christmas as a family – I’m so excited and can’t thank the team enough for what they’ve done for us.”
