Children will follow this schedule if they meet our enrollment criteria, were cared for in any one of several Atlanta area NICUs, and receive primary medical care (checkups and shots, immunizations) from a private pediatrician, a clinic other than the DPC at Hughes Spalding Hospital, or a clinic at another location. The information gained from our visit will be shared with you and your child's primary health care provider. Visits for babies born prematurely are scheduled by their corrected age.
4 Month Visit
At the four-month visit a medical team member, physical therapist and social worker will see you and your child. It is very important that you keep this appointment. If, for any reason, you cannot keep this appointment call the number on your appointment slip and reschedule. A parent/primary caregiver needs to be present during this visit. If you have twins, two adults should come to this appointment so that one adult can stay with each child during each part of the visit and the children can be seen simultaneously. If only one parent can come to clinic, each twin should be scheduled separately. Having a parent/primary caregiver present is important for making your child feel comfortable. It is also important for you to tell us what you have seen your child do at home and what your concerns may be.
Physical Examination: A member of our medical team, which consists of pediatric nurse practitioners, neonatologists and pediatricians, will see you and your child at each visit. They will try to answer any questions you may have about the medical problems your child experienced in the NICU. The medical personnel will perform a physical examination paying particular attention to your child's growth patterns, reflexes, motor movements and tone. These are areas that can reveal early signs of neurodevelopmental problems.
Physical Therapist Evaluation: The physical therapist will assess your infant's muscle tone, movement patterns and ability to tolerate interaction with people and objects. The therapist will ask you about your infant's behaviors at home, as well as sleep and feeding patterns. The therapist’s expertise working with infants who have spent time in the NICU and knowledge of normal growth and development will help in evaluating how your infant is progressing. At the end of this session the therapist will offer suggestions to help with any area of concern that has been noted.
Social Worker Visit: The social worker from our team will meet with each family at least once in the child's first year of life. The purpose of the social worker's interview is to identify sources of support for families and to determine if all appropriate resources are being made available to each family. Any family can request to see the social worker during a clinic visit. Our social worker is always available by phone.
Summary: At the end of your visit you will be given feedback regarding any areas of concern that the staff noted. A written report will be sent to your child's primary health care provider.
8 Month Visit
When your child is eight months corrected age you may receive a phone call from one of our team members. We often conduct phone interviews between scheduled visits. If you are called you will be asked questions about your child's diet, weight gain, general health, current medications and what services your child may be receiving. In addition, we will ask questions about your child's current development. How your child is vocalizing, playing, moving, responding to sights and sound, and interacting with people. We will try to address any questions you may have. If the information gathered raises concerns we may schedule an appointment sooner than the appointment you were given at the four-month visit.
12 and 18 Month Visits
At 12 months and again at 18 months by a developmental team member, medical team member and social worker will see your child.
A parent/primary caregiver needs to be present during these assessments. If you have twins two adults should come to this appointment so that both children can be tested during the same time slot. Having a parent/primary caregiver present is important for making your child feel comfortable. It is also important for you to tell us what you have seen your child do at home and what your concerns may be. The information provided by you, together with the test results help us understand your child's strengths and weaknesses. This information will be used to decide what services, additional testing, or treatments, your child may need.
Developmental Evaluation: A member of our developmental team will assess your child. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development: Second Edition is the test that is usually used. This test compares your child's performance (corrected for prematurity) to the performance of the average child of that age. This test can inform us about your child's development right now. This test will not tell us what your child will be able to do when he/she is older. This is why we will schedule your child for several evaluations during the preschool years. The best way to learn about a young child's development is to look at the child over time. This enables us to look at how your child has changed since the last assessment, as well as comparing your child's performance to the average performance for a particular age.
Physical Examination: A member of our medical team will address any medical issues that may have arisen since your last visit at the clinic. They will again perform a physical examination.
Social Worker Visit: If you did not have the opportunity to meet with our social worker she will meet with you during at least one of these visits. Some families may be actively working with our social worker and she will make a special effort to talk with them during this appointment. Any family may request to see the social worker during any visit to clinic.
Summary: You will be given feedback at the end of the session. In addition, several weeks after this visit you will receive a written report. This report will describe what your child did for us and it will list any recommendations we may have made.
If between visits you become concerned about any area of your child's development, we urge you to call us. If the problem can not be handled over the phone, we may request to see your child, or we may suggest an appointment with an outside specialist. Please use us as a resource for helping your child.
Visits Between 18 and 48 Months
When appointments are scheduled between 18 and 48 months a developmental team member, PNP, and social worker will see your child.
Developmental Evaluation: Evaluations will be scheduled based on the concerns identified at the 12 and 18-month testing. If no areas of concern have been identified for your child through 18 months your child may not be scheduled for the next evaluation until 48 months. If areas of concern have been identified by 18 months your child will be scheduled for another assessment at 30 months. After 30 months, further visits will be scheduled depending on the nature of your child's problems.
Physical Examination: A member of our medical team will address any medical issues that may have arisen since your last visit at the clinic. They will again perform a physical examination.
Social Work Visit: Our social worker is available to help families secure services or locate programs for their children.
Summary: You will be given feedback at the end of the session. In addition, several weeks after this visit you will receive a written report. This report will describe what your child did for us and it will list any recommendations we may have made.
If between visits you become concerned about any area of your child's development, we urge you to call us. If the problem can not be handled over the phone, we may request to see your child, or we may suggest an appointment with an outside specialist. Please use us as a resource for helping your child.