Beyond the NICU: a collaborative, family-centered approach to NICU follow up in Nebraska
About this session
Infants who spend their first days, weeks, or months of their life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at greater risk for developmental delays and disabilities than their healthy peers, and the risk for mental health issues is heightened in parents of NICU graduates. The concerns for child and parent outcomes in this population make it imperative that NICU graduates and their parents be monitored closely to ensure optimal growth, developmental, and behavioral outcomes, and psychosocial support for parents are in place. The Developmental Tracking Infant Progress Statewide (TIPS) program offers comprehensive family-centered follow-up care and connects high-risk infants and children and their families with needed support services and serves as a consultant for primary care providers. This session will provide an overview of common medical conditions requiring NICU admission, describe the Developmental TIPS program model and the program's role in Child Find in Nebraska, and discuss professional roles of conference attendees in supporting continued program success.
Intended Audience: Judges Caseworkers Parents attorneys Guardians ad litem CASAs EDN providers Head Start personnel School representatives Early childhood educators Home visitors Medical/health and mental health professionals Service providers Family member
Learning objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understand common medical conditions requiring NICU admission
- Recall potential impacts on growth, development, and behavioral outcomes in NICU graduates
- Understand the impact of a NICU admission on parent mental health
- Understand the aim, structure, and function of the Developmental TIPS program
- Reflect on their professional role may interface with the Developmental program and how they can support continued program success