Caffeine

They always have to be weaned off of caffeine before being discharged to home where I work.

We try to DC the caffiene at 35 weeks. If the baby goes a week without any apnea, they can go home without the med or a monitor. If they fail the caffiene-free trial, they are restarted on the med and sent home with an apnea monitor. Once they reach term at home, they are tried off caffiene again and if they are apnea-free for two weeks afterwards, they can DC the monitor.

We send a lot of babies home at about 35-36 weeks, so many of the kids do go home on caffiene. Then again, we also send home a lot of babies with NG tubes, oxygen, or severe reflux - and they all need to be on apnea monitors anyways so sometimes they just keep them on caffiene just in case.

Caffeine always d/c'd at least a couple of weeks before dicharge.

Thanks guys:) One more question: do you all wean it, or just stop cold turkey?

Thanks guys:) One more question: do you all wean it, or just stop cold turkey?

Cold turkey.

ETA: If the baby goes home on it, they'll keep the dose the same even as the baby gains weight - so the underdosing is kind of like weaning it before it'd discontinued. If the baby is still having apnea, they'll correct the dose for weight, but usually it's just a precaution and they end up growing out of the dose.

If our babies have any apnea within 5 days preceding discharge, they are sent home on caffeine and a heart rate monitor. Our babies goes home about 35 - 36 weeks. They are kept on caffeine at least 2 months. Then they are told to stop cold turkey for the caffeine and see if any apnea develop. If so, they are restarted on caffeine, but usually outgrow. Most of our parents use the HRM for about 4 months.

Christine, RNC, BSN

Do all your premies go home on caffeine? At my old place we weaned them off it before sending them home since it's supposed to be for apnea of prematurity and they were all term or post term by the time we sent them home. Just wondering if that's what most hospitals do or not.