Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow Up Program: Helping Families Navigate Life after NICU (On-Demand)

Credits: 1.5 continuing education hours (.15 CEUs) clock hours available upon request

Audience: PTs, PTAs, OT, COTAs, SLPs, and assistants; medical staff and ESIT providers.

This 90-minute recorded webinar will discuss how the Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up (NNFU) program provides specialized monitoring and support for infants following discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a critical period that can significantly influence long-term outcomes.

We will further discuss how infants who graduate from the NICU often present with complex medical and developmental histories, placing them at increased risk for developmental delays and disabilities. Understanding these risks requires careful selection, scoring, and interpretation of developmental assessments, always within the context of each child’s medical background.  Across these populations, common developmental themes frequently emerge, such as feeding difficulties, sensory processing differences, challenges with state regulation and self-soothing, tone abnormalities, and broader developmental delays. NNFU plays a key role in identifying these concerns early, supporting families, and coordinating care, working alongside therapy services to provide comprehensive, family-centered developmental follow-up.

Objectives:

• Introduction: What is NNFU
• Understand the complexities of NICU graduates
  • Why are they at risk for developmental delays and disabilities
• Understand the differences in scoring of assessments, and interpreting results
• Define populations: Micro preemies, NAS/NAT, Cooling/HIE
• Describe common themes for our populations
  • Feeding, sensory, overall regulation, tone concerns, overall developmental progression
• Role of NNFU versus (and alongside) therapies 

Presenters

Sarah Dore, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-PC, is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner. She offers neurodevelopmental care in the Neonatal Follow Up Clinic. She received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Washington and has spent the last decade in the pediatric nursing field in both inpatient intensive care units as well as in public health. She is passionate about health promotion, early intervention, and partnering alongside families to ensure their child is the happiest and healthiest they can be.

Madison Lutz, MSN, ARNP, CPNP-PC, is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner. She completed her education in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the University of New Mexico, where she worked in the Neonatal ICU (NICU) and in pediatric Primary Care. Since relocating to Washington, she has worked at Tacoma General as a Newborn Hospitalist, and now offers neurodevelopmental care in the Neonatal Follow Up clinic. She strives to provide holistic care to our vulnerable populations, partnering with the family to create tailored plans that support each child's unique needs. Registration information

Registration information
After you register you will receive a link to access the recordings. You may access the recording anytime, ending 180 days from first viewing. If you require more time to watch the recording, please email Normajean Friend - [email protected]