Clinical Spotlight: NICU Follow-Up Clinic

The first few years of life are an important time for healthy growth and development for children who required intensive care as babies. MHealth Fairview offers NICU follow-up care, aimed at providing ongoing evaluation and guidance related to growth and development during these important years. Children who required intensive care may be at higher risk for problems in growth and development.

The goal of the NICU Follow-Up Clinic is to ensure children are developing to the best of their ability and early identification of areas of concern. We see children back in the NICU Follow-up Clinic at key times in the first few years, including four months corrected age, one and two years corrected age, and a preschool assessment at four years of age.

Children are seen at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB), and the Pediatric Specialty Clinics in Burnsville and Woodbury.

Our Care Team includes the following specialists:

• Neonatal provider: At each visit, a child will be evaluated by a neonatal provider to ensure that a child is growing and developing to the best of his or her ability. Early growth can impact long-term outcomes.
• Occupational therapist: Our occupational therapists will evaluate reflexes, fine and gross motor movement, feeding, basic sensory awareness and self-regulation. This measurement helps identify ongoing therapy needs.
• Neuropsychologist: A child will work with a neuropsychologist starting at age one or two years corrected age to be evaluated on cognitive and behavioral development. At one and two years a child will participate in individualized testing to assess cognitive, language, and motor skills. As children develop into pre-school age, the focus of evaluation includes learning, memory, attention regulation, social skills, and emotional and behavioral control

We also offer a special program in the Cardiovascular Developmental Clinic at MIDB for neonates who have had cardiac surgery and are at higher risk developmental problems seen at similar ages and a similar care team.

Who We Serve

We see back those infants in the NICU at higher risk for growth or developmental concerns including premature infants born less than 34 weeks gestation, babies who were small for gestational age, experienced significant hypoglycemia, or with neurological conditions including seizures, hypoxic ischemic encephopathy, neonatal stroke, or other conditions that may place a child at higher risk for long term complicaitons from their neonatal course

How Can I Refer a Patient or Learn More?

Referrals can be made by calling 612-365-3777 for additional assistance.