Abstract
Background:
Preterm birth involves often long hospitalisation for the infant and its parents. Neonatal home care is an alternative to traditional care. Aim: To evaluate a neonatal home care program over a four year perspective at Lund University hospital in Sweden. Method: The evaluation consisted of descriptive statistics, a cost comparison with traditional hospital care and a description of parental experiences. Findings: Three hundred and ninety infants, who were physiologically stable, but in need of further special care, participated in the neonatal home care program during the years 2002–2005. On an average, each infant spent 17 days in the programme and received a mean of 4.6 home visits. When estimating the costs for traditional hospital care, neonatal home care was found to be less expensive. Interviews with ten parents revealed that at hospital parents felt vulnerable and incompetent in caring for their child. At home they felt comfortable and became gradually more confident. Conclusion: Neonatal home care with support of staff from the neonatal unit is feasible, less expensive, activates the family's own resources and normalises the family life.