For Children at Higher Risk of Developmental Concerns
The Neonatal Follow-up Program (NFP) is for infants who have spent time in a newborn intensive care nursery. These children may be at a higher risk for developmental concerns, especially if they are:
- very small,
- born very early, or
- very ill.
This program offers follow up care and evaluation with eligible children as they age for the next two to four years.
No matter how your infant/child appears to be doing, we encourage any child who meets the eligibility requirements or has developmental concerns to attend.
Eligibility For Children at Highest Risk
If your child has one of the follow characteristics or conditions, they qualify for this program:
- Birthweight less than or equal to1250 grams (less than 2 lbs, 12 oz)
- Gestational age less than or equal to 26 weeks
- Requires extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
- Diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
You can also get a referral from your medical care provider. Infants are referred to us by all newborn intensive care units throughout the state of Utah or their medical care provider.
Follow-Up Assessments Ages
We see infants/children at these ages:
- Three months
- Nine months
- 18 months
- Two years
- Three years
- Four years
The NFP Team
Your child will meet with one or more members of our multidisciplinary developmental team at these assessments:
- Developmental pediatrics
- Speech and language pathology
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Family support through Family Voices
- Psychology
Partnering With Primary Care Providers (PCP)s
Providers at the NFP do not replace your child’s primary care provider (PCP). We work in partnership with your child’s PCP. We share all the documentation from our assessments with your child’s PCP so that we can work as a team to support your child’s development.
SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR CHILD
To see providers in our program, you need to have a referral. Most referrals come to us come from the NICU your infant was in or your primary care provider (PCP).
If you feel your child meets criteria and you are unsure if your child has been referred, you can ask the NICU or call us at 801-587-2255. If we have not received a referral, we will ask you to have your PCP send us a referral through our secure fax line at 801-585-2209 or through their (EPIC or iCentra) electronic medical record.
You can also email us at udac@hsc.utah.edu.
First Visit
Our first visit with your child is scheduled when your infant is three months (adjusted) old. If you have not heard from us to schedule an appointment by this age and you feel your infant meets the criteria, please contact your child’s PCP to send us a referral.
Find a Specialist
A Relationship Created for the Best Pediatric Care
For pediatric specialty care, Intermountain Children's Health is affiliated with University of Utah Health. U of U Health physicians see patients at Primary Children's Hospital on campus, Lehi Primary Children's, and other locations throughout the Salt Lake City valley.
It's a shared mission of providing health care, education, and research. It comes to life through collaboration on clinical care, research, and educational programs.
Primary Children's Hospital operates as the main pediatric facility for the U of U Health system, providing care in more than 60 medical and surgical specialties such as surgery, oncology, cardiology, orthopedics, and others. Most of the providers at Primary Children's Hospital are faculty members at U of U Health.
This partnership delivers care to advance pediatric medicine while educating future generations of health care professionals.
What to Expect at Your Appointments
You will see two or more developmental professionals at each visit, and we provide assessments according to your child’s age. There are specific milestones we follow in your child’s development.
We will ask about your child and if you have any concerns. We will watch how your child moves and responds.
If there are any concerns with their development, we will discuss them with you and refer you to other services, such as early Intervention or other therapy, if appropriate.
Virtual or In-Person Visits
Visits are either virtual visits or in person. Learn more about these options.
At each visit your child may see a different provider depending on what milestone we are evaluating the child for. You will always see two or more developmental professionals at each visit.
Appointment Length
The virtual care appointments last up to one hour. Please plan on a couple of hours for the in-person clinic appointment.
Missed Appointments
Like you, we are very interested in your child’s development. If you have missed any of the mile marker appointments, you can still come to NFP. Please note, all appointments are important in reviewing your child’s development needs.
Sharing information With Your PCP
The clinic will send your PCP a summary of your visits and test results. You can access results of all your visits through MyChart. To set up an account if you do not already have one, visit MyChart or call 801-213-5555, option #1 for help.
Testing For Developmental Problems
We provide standard testing, which includes specific conditions like:
- cerebral palsy,
- autism,
- ADHD, or
- learning disabilities.
If there are any concerns about your child’s development, we may encourage further testing in our Child Development Program (CDP) or another clinic that may be able to provide you with services.
We can also provide resources and refer you to programs to help your child.
Cost for Program Services
Although we will bill your insurance company (if you have insurance/Medicaid), you will never receive a bill for these services. There are no out of pocket expenses for these services.
We are very committed to the developmental outcomes of the high risk NICU babies and provide these services regardless of insurance coverage or lack of it.
Contact Us
You can email, call, or fax us.
Phone: 801-587-2255
Email: udac@hsc.utah.edu
Fax: 801-585-2209