Hospital policy stupidity

[ketchupqueen]

Right. Which is why something like APGAR would make more sense to me.

 

[An Aurora]

I'm sure that whoever made the hospital policy had good reason to go with 7 pounds. In essence, low APGAR scores do mean that a baby gets a car seat test, because if they have a low APGAR at 5 minutes, they go to NICU. Every baby getting discharged from the NICU gets a car seat test.

 

[momof3monkeys]

need a login to read it. i would love to read it though. sister in law having a baby.
shes having hers at the university of michigans women and childrens hospital i dont think they do that,,,,,,maybe they do. my 3 boys were all over 9 and one over 8lbs

 

[scatterbunny]

My 4# 35-weeker was sent home after 3 days in a regular hospital (no NICU) in an infant seat with a 5# minimum, and no carseat challenge at all. I keep meaning to ask if our hospital does things differently now, and keep forgetting.

 

[Qarin]

My 4lb13oz 34weeker went home after 18 days in the NICU (well, "special care nursery") without a car seat challenge (in late 2001, but I'd heard of the car seat challenge and was surprised they didn't do one). (My younger DD was born at home at 37w0d, and was 6lb15oz at 8-10hrs old (the midwives forgot to bring their scale in their rush to arrive before DD2 did)).

 

[ketchupqueen]

I get that they must have had a reason. Even if the reason is the percentage of babies they see that are under that weight. I'm just curious as to what it is. Because I'm always curious about the reasons behind things like that.

I've never heard of that policy anywhere else, so I'm very interested in how it came to be.

 

[An Aurora]

I work on Sunday; I'll pick up a copy of the policy and see why they chose 7 pounds

 

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

Ooh, good I would like to know also. I would think that 6.5 pounds would seem like a more realistic weight, for me anyway. Since what, the "average" is about 7.5 pounds, correct? So, a pound either way.....then check? My last was born at 37 weeks 3 days, was 8 pounds 15 ounces, and had good 1 minute and 5 minute apgars. But, ended up with low blood sugar numbers, and as I had a section, I wasn't able to nurse him immediately (like I did with all my other babies, and the 2 before him who also had blood sugar issues), and he had a hard time recovering, spent 7 days in NICU. Needed to be tube fed a bit, and on oxygen a bit. But, because he was over 37 weeks, no car seat challenge. They do all babies under 37 weeeks. I was able to give my one nurse some extra info, though Oh, and she did follow me to the car, and look in, and was impressed that I got baby in, then out, readjusted the straps, back in, and in record time, PROPERLY:thumbsup: Meaning, tight straps, under shoulders, chest clip.

 

[Stresch]

need a login to read it. i would love to read it though. sister in law having a baby.
shes having hers at the university of michigans women and childrens hospital i dont think they do that,,,,,,maybe they do. my 3 boys were all over 9 and one over 8lbs

As of 3 (and a half!) years ago, they did not. My daughter was 6 lbs, 2 oz (under 6 when we went home). No one so much as looked at her seat.

They do (or did) offer a good car seat class there.

 

[bobandjess99]

Yes, well, thankfully they do it here, so I have a job

LOL! I can see that being a check in the pro column for you...

 

[skylinphoto]

My 5lber went home 24 hours after being born (i hate hospitals, she was healthy, and i raised heII). She was born at 37 wks.
No carseat test at all. And she was born at a hospital completely dedicated to births.

I'm totally interested in why they decided on 7lbs as a cut off. (I love medical stuff).