These pages cover what to do in an emergency and provide other forms of support for parents of premature or sick babies with respiratory issues who are no longer on the neonatal unit.
What to do in an emergency
An emergency for a premature orwith a respiratory condition could be indicated by:
Discolouration of the skin due to lack of oxygen when your baby’s skin, lips or tongue turns pale or blue. On Black, brown or darker skin tones this may be easier to see on lips, tongues and gums, under nails, around your baby’s eyes, on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet.
Apnoea (pauses in breathing, particularly during sleep)
Severe respiratory difficulties (such as grunting), a marked chest recession (where the chest seems to sink inwards), or a fast breathing rate of over 60 breaths per minute.
Call 999 or take your baby straight to the nearest A&E department. Do not try to manage these serious symptoms at home.
As a parent, you know your baby better than anyone. You may feel something is not right, but may not be able to explain fully what the problem is. Healthcare professionals would much rather you check with them if you are worried about your baby, particularly if they are more vulnerable to serious conditions.
have left the unit
Healthcare support will still be available to your baby, but if you’re not in the unit, it can be hard to know who to contact when there is a concern.
Parents have told us that neonatal units are often unable to advise them once they have been discharged so they have needed to find other sources of healthcare information and support.
For non-emergencies, here are the healthcare professionals you can contact:
Your GP
Your health visitor
NHS 111
Your community neonatal nurse, or family care nurse
Pharmacists
Your paediatric consultant (if your baby has been discharged and visits a clinic)
