Neurodevelopment
Neurodevelopmental follow up:
If your baby meets one or more of the following, criteria they will be eligible for neurodevelopmental follow up:
- Gestation at birth <32 weeks
- Birth weight <1500g
- Required inhaled nitric oxide during neonatal admission
- Required therapeutic hypothermia (cooling) during neonatal admission.
They must also be under Luton & Dunstable hospital for their Neonatal follow up care.
What is neurodevelopmental follow up?
Neurodevelopmental follow up provides specialist monitoring, assessment, treatment and advice to support your baby’s development once they have been discharged home from hospital. For more information on how often your baby will receive neurodevelopmental follow up and what the appointments include, please see our leaflet.
Meet the team
The neurodevelopmental follow up team consists of consultant neonatologists, neonatal specialist physiotherapists and a neonatal secretary.
Resources for 0-24 months
Please see below links for advice, activities and play ideas to support your baby’s development at home. This resource page should be used in conjunction with the advice and recommendations from your local neurodevelopmental follow up team.
If your baby was born premature, always remember to correct their age when looking at their development/milestones. Their corrected age is used until they are 2 years old.
Actual age – months born early = corrected age.
I.e. 4 months – 2 months (born at 32 weeks) = 2 months corrected age.
Play & toy ideas:
- 0-3-Months, EIsmart
- 3-6 Months, EIsmart
- 6-9 Months, EIsmart
- 9-12 Months, EIsmart
- 12-24 Months, EIsmart
- 24-36 Months, EIsmart
Gross motor advice
- Awake time ideas leaflet, APCP
- Head turn preference & plagiocepahly, APCP
- Side lying, EIsmart
- Rolling, EIsmart
- Sitting, EIsmart
Communication
- Talking to my preterm baby, EIsmart
- Communication top tips, EIsmart
- Speech & language information, Bedfordshire community health services
Resources for school age
It is important to let your child’s school know if they were born premature, as it increases the likelihood of additional learning needs. Being aware of any specific needs will mean your child receives the best support. The resources below have more information for both parents and education staff.
Useful contacts
- Neonatal secretary:
- 01582 718171
- Working hours: Monday to Thursday, 8.30-4.30pm.
- Physiotherapy admin
- 01582 497350
- Working hours: Monday-Friday, 8.00-5.00pm.
Useful websites
- Home – EISMart
- For babies born premature or sick | Bliss
- APCP, parent leaflets
- eTIPS therapy in perinatal stroke, left side (ncl.ac.uk)
- eTIPS early therapy in perinatal stroke, right side (ncl.ac.uk)