Neonatal Follow-up Corner

The Neonatal Follow-up Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), led by Sara DeMauro, MD, is integral to Division of Neonatology activities, following preterm and high-risk infants throughout the critical first years post-discharge.

Did You Know …

• Mission: Our mission is to provide ongoing comprehensive care for NICU graduates to support optimal growth, developmental, and behavioral outcomes of preterm, critically-ill, or medically complex children. Further, through providing clinical care, research opportunities, and educational experiences, we aim to teach the next generation of care providers the needs of our unique population.
• Locations: Our program is located not only at the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care at CHOP but also at multiple CHOP Newborn Care Network locations, including Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, CHOP Specialty Care at Virtua in Voorhees, N.J., Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, Pa., and Chester County Hospital in West Chester, Pa. As our network continues to grow, there may be additional locations in the future.
• Team: Our program is staffed by neonatologists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, developmental psychologists and specialists, social workers, therapists, and clinic coordinators.
• Data Collection: Three years ago, we established a core set of data that are collected at every follow-up visit. To date, this database has included more than 3 700 patients and 7 000 patient visits. Our database provides a rich resource for assessing care practices, outcomes at various gestational ages, and interventions.
• Outcomes Research: We are involved in assessing outcomes for a host of research studies, the majority of which require outcomes data to reach study conclusions. These projects currently include studies that rely on 2-year outcomes, such as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network Transfusion of Prematures Trial, Hydrocortisone for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Trial, Preterm Hypothermia Trial, and MILK Trial. We also lead the 5-year follow-up for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded Hydrocortisone for BPD Respiratory and Developmental Outcomes Study. Our success rate for securing follow-up data for these research investigations is consistently >95%, which represents an incredible effort by many individuals.
• Resource: The program is a key component of CHOP’s Pulmonary Hypoplasia Program and Chronic Lung Disease Program. Our work supports both the essential clinical work and groundbreaking research conducted by these programs.
• Education: We have a strong educational endeavor that seeks to provide an outstanding experience for students, residents, neonatology fellows, developmental psychology interns, developmental fellows, nurse practitioner students, and a host of observers from various backgrounds. We are dedicated to training the next generation of clinicians to care for high-risk infants.

We are committed to providing the best care possible for our babies and our families.

*Follow-up Corner will give updates on a semi-annual basis.