Home Care for Children on Respirators

The use of sophisticated medical technology has made it possible for increasing numbers of children to survive the acute effects of extreme prematurity, neurologic diseases, severe trauma, and congenital abnormalities. Some of these children, including those who need long-term ventilatory support for respiratory failure, will require intensive medical care for indefinite periods of time. The detrimental effect of long-term institutionalization on the development of children has been widely acknowledged in the past several decades.^1,2 Yet, until recently, families were rarely encouraged by physicians to undertake at home the exacting and time-consuming care of a child who was dependent on a.