Children will follow this schedule if they meet our enrollment criteria, were cared for in the Grady Memorial Hospital NICU and their families choose the DPC to provide primary health care. Visits for babies born prematurely are scheduled by their corrected age.
Visits in the First Year
At hospital discharge you will be given an appointment to bring your baby to the DPC. This clinic meets on the second floor of Hughes Spalding Hospital. How soon your baby will be seen will depend on your baby's size and health at the time of discharge.
It is very important that you keep this appointment. If, for any reason, you can not keep this appointment call the number on your appointment slip and reschedule. Also, call us if you are worried about your baby before it is time for your first appointment. Your concerns may mean we need to see your baby sooner.
A parent/primary caregiver needs to be present during these visits. If you have twins two adults should come to this appointment if at all possible. 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.
At the first DPC visit a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP), nutritionist and social worker will see you and your child.
Physical Examination: You will be assigned to a special PNP who will see your child at each visit. A neonatologist and pediatrician are available for consultation. Your PNP will try to answer any questions you may have about the medical problems your child experienced in the NICU. She will perform a physical examination, paying particular attention to your child's growth, reflexes, muscle tone and how your child moves. These are areas that can reveal early signs of neurodevelopmental problems.
Nutritional Consultation: If your baby is having problems with growing or tolerating formula our nutritionist is available for consultation. You can request to meet with the nutritionist whenever you feel you need assistance with what to feed your baby.
Social Work 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 each family. She can also determine if all appropriate resources are being made available to your child. Families can always contact our social worker by phone.
Summary: Before you leave the clinic you will be told about any areas of concern the staff has noted during this visit. You will also be told what we feel needs to be done for your baby. How often your baby will be seen in clinic will depend on your baby's health and growth. Your baby will be scheduled for routine health checks and baby shots (immunizations).
If you think your baby is sick, call your PNP. If you think the problem is serious and needs immediate attention after hours or on weekends, bring your baby to Hughes Spalding's pediatric emergency clinic. At your earliest convenience, call your PNP and tell her about the visit to the PEC. She may want to see your baby in clinic before your next scheduled appointment.
12 and 30 months
At 12 months and again at 30 months corrected age, a developmental team member, PNP, social worker and nutritionist 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: After the developmental evaluation your PNP will see your baby. She will address any medical issues that may have come up since your last visit to the clinic. She will again perform a physical examination.
Nutritional Consultation: If your baby is having a hard time moving from baby food to table food or is not growing at the rate your PNP feels he/she should, you may see our nutritionist
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 two 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.
Three Years
When appointments are scheduled between 36 and 48 months corrected age, a developmental team member and a medical provider will see your child. A social worker and nutritionist will also be available as needed.
Developmental Evaluation: A preschool readiness screen will be administered. You will also be asked to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s behavior, sleep, and/or eating habits. If your child is already in preschool, we will want to discuss with you how he or she is responding to the preschool experience. If your child is not in preschool, our screening can help you decide what type preschool setting would be most beneficial.
Physical Examination: Some children who were born prematurely or who had certain medical complications at birth will need to continue with close medical supervision. How often your baby will be seen by his/her PNP will be based on your child's medical needs.
Nutritional Consultation: Our nutritionist is available to discuss normal variation in eating for pre-school children. In addition the nutritionist can help with advice on supplements for children who are not growing properly and children who have significant feeding problems.
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 how your child performed during the visit, 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 cannot 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.
Four to Six Years
Children are seen between 4 and 6 years of age by a developmental team member and a medical provider. A social worker and nutritionist may also see your child.
Developmental/Educational Evaluation: The focus of these visits will be on identifying strengths and weaknesses that will be important for school functioning. We will help you look at your child’s current school placement and make recommendations if your child does not seem to be responding well to the educational instruction being provided. We also screen for any difficulties with behavior or social development at this visit. We will need a parent present to provide information on home and school functioning. Please do not bring other children to this visit. Other children cannot be permitted to remain in the room during testing as they distract the child being tested. Please make sure your child is well-rested and has already had breakfast prior to the appointment.
Physical Examination: Some children who were born prematurely or who had certain medical complications at birth will need to continue with close medical supervision. How often your baby will be seen by his/her PNP will be based on your child's medical needs.
Nutritional Consultation: Our nutritionist is available to discuss normal variation in eating for young children. In addition, the nutritionist can help with advice on supplements for children who are not growing properly and children who have significant feeding problems.
Social Work Visit: Our social worker is available during most clinics 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 summarize our findings 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 cannot 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.
Special note: Your child’s final visit with our clinic will usually be scheduled between 5 and 6 years of age. Our goal is to have identified any ongoing, long-term developmental issues prior to discharging your child from our program. Some learning problems do not emerge until later in development. We will provide you with information to address any emerging difficulties we suspect as well as information on what to watch for as your child matures.