Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Program
Infants born prematurely or with a critical illness are at increased risk of developmental delays. The Columbia Neonatal Growth and Development (GraD) Clinic specializes in providing comprehensive medical and developmental care for premature and medically complex infants and their families during the first three years of life. Our team connects families with resources they may need from infancy into early childhood, performs comprehensive developmental evaluations of preterm and medically complex infants, and provides support to infants and families as they transition from the hospital to life at home.
Our goal is to identify any developmental delays as early as possible. When developmental delays are identified early, together with families, we can increase the infant's access to the care and support they need. We achieve this early identification by working with families to evaluate the growth and development of infants and young children who are at risk for neurologic problems and developmental delays due to preterm birth, congenital heart disease, neurologic injury, or other complex medical conditions that required neonatal intensive care.
The following infants qualify for the Columbia Neonatal Growth and Development Clinic:
- Infants born at 28 weeks or less
- Infants born at less than 32 weeks and less than 1250 grams at birth
- Infants born with seizures, strokes, or parenchymal hemorrhage
- Infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and required cooling at birth
- Infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
- Infants with tracheostomies
- Infants who required extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO)
- Infants diagnosed with meningitis or encephalitis
- Infants born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and/or single ventricle physiology
Our team consists of neonatologists, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, a pediatric psychologist, a pediatric nurse practitioner, a physical therapist, and a clinic coordinator. At each visit, we provide in-depth developmental monitoring, care coordination, and referrals to specialty services as needed. The Columbia Neonatal GraD Clinic does not replace a child’s pediatric primary care provider but works in conjunction with the primary care provider and other specialists to ensure the child is receiving all the support and services they need.
The Columbia Neonatal GraD Clinic does perform more in-depth developmental screenings than pediatric primary care providers and therefore will be critical in determining how best to support children’s development. We also assist families in getting connected with therapies or other resources as needed. At the end of each visit, families receive a report that can be shared with their primary care provider and any other members of the baby’s care team, such as early intervention therapists.
Infants and toddlers are followed periodically from about six months of age until they are about 30 months of age. Infants born prematurely will be evaluated based on their adjusted age (the age they would have been if they had been born on their due date) until they are 24 months. After 24 months, they are evaluated based on their chronological or actual age. Toddlers typically “graduate” from the Columbia Neonatal GraD Clinic at the 30-month visit. Occasionally, our team may choose to continue follow up if there are ongoing concerns that require close monitoring.
Throughout their care at the Columbia Neonatal GraD Clinic, children benefit from the expertise of our world-recognized neonatal specialists, our multidisciplinary team, and our commitment to family-centered care.
To contact the Columbia Neonatal GraD Clinic, call 212-305-6350 or email aa2091@cumc.columbia.edu.
Locations
Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian, CHONY North 11th floor, Room 1138, 3959 Broadway, CHN 1138, New York, NY 10032
Columbia Doctors White Plains, 15 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601