high-risk newborn follow-up clinic

specialized care for children who were diagnosed with medical problems at birth

When babies arrive early or experience difficulties at birth, they are at an increased risk for growth, feeding and developmental issues. Dayton Children’s provides follow-up care for these children until their third birthday. Our goal is to make sure your child receives appropriate developmental and rehabilitation services to address any concerns. Your baby will still go to the pediatrician for well checks, immunizations and sick visits.

your child’s first appointment

We would like to see your child within four weeks of his or her discharge from the NICU, earlier if your child’s doctor prefers. Your child’s first appointment in the high-risk newborn follow-up clinic will last one to two hours. Please be sure to bring diapers, formula, snacks and a favorite toy or other familiar item from home. Also, bring along a list of questions you would like to ask our team.

This visit will include a physical examination, testing and a detailed conversation with the doctor about your child’s medical history and development. Also, the occupational therapist will do some informal tests as well. If your child has difficulty feeding, please let a team member know when you are planning to feed your child during your visit. We will ask our feeding specialist to come observe, which will help us identify what the problem is and how we can help.

personalized treatment plan

At the end of this appointment, you will receive written notes about your visit and our initial recommendations. Later, after our team has an opportunity to talk more about your child’s needs, you will receive a comprehensive, written treatment plan, which could include:

• Scheduling tests (such as blood tests or appropriate imaging procedures)
• Genetic testing
• Referring your child to another hospital clinic, such as cerebral palsy
• Taking your child to another specialist, such as an occupational therapist of speech/feeding specialist
• Prescribing medication

follow-up care

We will want to see your child every three to six months until his or her third birthday, to see how he or she is responding to the treatment plan and to recommend additional therapy or testing if needed. We will schedule follow-up appointments at the end of each visit. These appointments usually take 30-60 minutes.