History - Since 1979, the follow-up clinic has been a major part of the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Perinatal Program. The Program provides a special clinical service for young children and their families to ensure their best possible growth and development.

Children Referred - Some infants, including those who are very premature, of low birth weight or have breathing problems after birth are automatically referred to the clinic before they are discharged from hospital. Infants who have other medical conditions or who have had major surgery may also be referred to the clinic. Most of the infants who are referred to the clinic have been admitted to the NICU or Special Care Nursery following birth. Physicians or nurses in other regions of the province may also make referrals. Interested professionals can click here for the present admission criteria.

Initial Contact - In St. John's a nurse from the Perinatal Clinic regularly visits the NICU or Nursery to review babies that require follow-up to the clinic, as well as checking on their progress while in hospital. The Perinatal Nurse will either meet with you while your child is in hospital or contact you by telephone after discharge to discuss the follow-up clinic with you and answer any questions you might have.

A Typical Clinic Visit - At the Perinatal Clinic your child's growth and development is followed closely. A pediatrician will look at several different areas of development including movement and development of large and small muscles, vision, hearing, speech and general behavior. Body movements, muscle tone and the presence or absence of certain reflexes will also be observed. Your child's growth will also be followed closely. Each visit lasts about one hour. Referrals may sometimes be made to Physiotherapy, Eye Specialists, Audiology or other health professionals when required. A follow-up report will be sent to your family doctor, pediatrician, and/or Public Health Nurse.

How often will my child be seen? - This may depend on how long your child has been in hospital following birth. The first visit is usually made several months after your child has gone home from hospital. This time gives your child a chance to settle into his/her home environment and grow a little more. Following the initial visit, your child will be seen about every 4 months for the first year. After this he/she will be seen at 18 months and 3 years of age. At around 3 years of age your child will also be seen by a child psychologist who will perform a very detailed check-up. Many children have fun at this check-up as they are asked to perform different activities. The psychologist often uses this opportunity to talk with parents and offer advice on such things as sleeping habits, discipline and play activities. Travel clinics are held in certain regions of the province once or twice a year for children in these areas.

Appointments - You will be notified by the Perinatal Clinic for your appointment. It is very important that if you cannot make the scheduled appointment, you notify our office as soon as possible (click here). 

Consent - At your child's first visit to our clinic, parents will be asked to sign a consent form that allows the program to release/request clinic reports, letters, referrals, or clinical information to/from other health care providers. This is done so that all persons involved in the care of your child has the most up-to-date information available to them. Click here to view the consent form.

Disclosure for Parents and the Follow-Up Clinic Database - All patient records of our Follow-Up Clinic are entered into a database which is governed by the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPP) and the Human Investigations Committee (HIC) of Memorial University of Newfoundland. This database is password protected in a secure room and can only be accessed by limited authorized personnel of the Program. Click here to view full disclosure.

Information from the database may be used for research purposes only with the approval and conditions outlined by a recognized research ethics board. All requests for research will have to be submitted to the HIC while general requests require a completed data request form (click here). At no time will any personal information (e.g., name, address, phone number, race, age, sex, personal views, education status, etc.) be released that will identify your child or family. Information may also be used in the publication of reports that present a general description of the children's outcomes (e.g., proportion of children who have low birth weight and had a hearing impairment).

A Summary of 10 years of follow-up data was presented the annual CIHI Data Users Conference in Ottawa (September, 2008).

Some Useful Websites for Parents

Caring for Kids -  Designed by the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS), this resourceful site provides parents and care providers with a wealth of information about their child's health and well-being. Some issues or topics that are presented and discussed include: eating, when your child is sick, behaviour and development, immunization and so much more. Click here.

Familydoctor.org - This is a great site that provides health information for the whole family. Under the Parents and Kids section they cover many categories such as "Common Conditions in Children", "Behaviour", "Safety", "Keeping Your Child Healthy", etc. Under "Caring for Infants" be sure to check out A Primer on Preemies or Premature Babies. Click here.