Physiotherapist on the move: where babies at risk are referred for follow-up after hospital discharge

Abstract

Introduction: Two facts may influence a newborn’s development. One is to be a newborn at risk and the other is to be hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit. Objective: To examine where at-risk infants are being referred for longitudinal follow-up after hospital discharge, and to carry out an analysis of the epidemiological and care profile of these babies. Methods: Documentary, descriptive and retrospective study, comprising the medical records of 479 newborns (NBs) hospitalized Hospital Materno Infantil Presidente Vargas from January 2019 to May 2020. The variables studied were: gender, baby's race/color, type of delivery, prenatal consultations, classification according to gestational age, weight, Apgar of the 1st, 5th, 10th minute, hospitalization diagnosis, main diagnosis, outcomes, length of stay, multidisciplinary follow-up during hospitalization, post-discharge referrals (specialized and non-specialized). Social and environmental data were: maternal age and race/color, maternal and paternal education. Results: Higher prevalence of full-term male babies born by cesarean delivery, declared as white, with high Apgar scores, with varied diagnoses, with prematurity prevailing. Maternal mean was 26.2 years, (SD ± 7.3), the most reported race/color was also white, the mean of mothers' studies was 8.1 years (SD ± 2.4). Only 14% (n = 67) performed motor physical therapy at the hospital and 2.1% (n = 10) were referred for evaluation and early intervention for post-discharge physical therapy. The specialized service with the highest referral was the hospital's neuropediatrics graduates' outpatient clinic (17.3%, n = 83) and, for the non-specialized, it was the Basic Health Unit/BHU (39.7%, n = 190). Conclusion: Most NBs are referred to the specific medical team or post-discharge BHU. The physiotherapist was the professional little remembered for monitoring this public in the hospital and after discharge.