t PROVIDENCE Health & Services

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "t PROVIDENCE Health & Services"

Abner Wood
7 years ago
Views:

1 t PROVIDENCE Health & Services

2 Providence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children provides a clinic for infants who are at risk for delays in developmental growth or feeding problems due to premature birth or significant illness. Providence St. Vincent Medical Center: Providence Child Center: Providence Newberg Medical Center:

3 What is the neonatal intensive care unit follow-up clinic? The Providence NICU follow-up clinic is staffed by a team of specialists who evaluate and treat infants at high risk for developmental problems. Our staff will analyze how your child learns, develops speech and performs motor activities. They will evaluate his or her nutritional needs and address your concerns regarding behavior. Our goal is to help your child obtain optimal development. Does my child need to be seen in the follow-up clinic? If your baby was admitted to the NICU, was born prematurely or was very sick at birth, he or she may benefit from our clinic services. The physician who cared for your baby in the NICU will recommend the follow-up clinic if your child is at risk for delays in developmental growth or feeding. What is developmental growth? Developmental growth refers to how your child learns, develops communication skills, moves and plays. Who will my child see in the clinic? Our expert team, including a developmental pediatrician, pediatric nutritionist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, audiologist and/or social worker, will evaluate your child.

4 How often would my child be seen at the follow-up clinic? A typical schedule for children in the followup clinic, and the services they receive at those visits, looks like this: Two weeks after discharge from NICU: Nutrition services 4 months corrected age: Developmental and physical 8 months corrected age: Nutrition, physical therapy and audiology services 12 months: Developmental and physical 18 months: Developmental, occupational and physical 24 months: Occupational and speech 36 months: Developmental and speech The schedule states corrected age. What does this mean? The term "corrected age" refers to the age the child would be if the pregnancy had actually gone to term. For example, if your baby had an expected birth date of March 1 but was born on Jan. 1, your baby would have a corrected age of 3 months on June 1. Assessment of developmental growth and feeding skills should be based on a corrected age for preterm infants. Using the actual birth date to calculate age will lead to inappropriate assessment and advice.

5 Does my child need to attend all of these visits? Some children will require fewer clinic visits while others may need all of the visits listed in the schedule. Our developmental pediatricians and specialists will discuss with you the types of services your child needs and how often his or her appointments should be scheduled to ensure optimum growth and development. Why should I come to these visits? Children who were born prematurely or were very sick at birth have an increased risk for growth or feeding problems. In order to maximize your child's developmental growth and to ensure that he or she is eating appropriately, we encourage you to bring your child to the follow-up clinic. Without the appropriate care, your child will be at a higher risk for delays that could have an impact later in life. How do I set up the appointments? One of our staff will contact you and set up the initial appointment. Once you are seen for the assessment, we will work with you to set up further appointments. Will my insurance pay for the treatment? Contact your insurance company to find out if your coverage includes NICU followup services. Please refer to the insurance information that was included in the packet you received from our clinic. Your therapist will assist if you have additional questions.

roviaence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children

ROVIDENCE Health & Services roviaence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children Autism Parent Training Program Teaching social-communication skills to children with autism and related disorders: A parent-implemented