The
developmental support program fosters good developmental
care by preventing an overwhelming and over-stimulating
environment for infants in the NICU. Since each baby is an
individual with likes and dislikes, the developmental support
team creates an
individualized plan of care for every
Newborn Center infant. The goal of this plan is to minimize
stress, helping the infant to cope better and grow faster.
Parents and family members are also taught nurturing
techniques, which create greater bonding and help ensure
that parents feel comfortable providing care and recognizing
their baby's responses.
The needs
of an infant in the hospital are similar to those of an
infant at home: security, comfort, acceptance,
age-appropriate activities and affection.
Specialists in Texas Children's
child life department use
comfort and play time to provide a friendly environment
promoting normal, healthy development. A full-time
child
life specialist in the newborn center ensures that each baby
receives the love and affection her or she needs.
This
clinic was established in 1994 as a cooperative effort
between the Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics and
the Texas Children's Newborn Center. The
Desmond Clinic provides long-term follow-up and neurodevelopmental
assessments for pre-term babies and helps to identify
infants who may have special needs. Testing for behavioral
problems such as attention deficit disorder (ADD) is
provided, as well as support for parents of premature
infants as the child progresses through the educational
systems.
