The NICU Graduate: Implications for Pediatric Primary Care

Mortality rates of extremely preterm infants continue to decline as neonatal technology and care improve. Following graduation from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, preterm infants will transition to pediatric primary care offices for continued care and treatment. These infants often have complex health care needs that present inherent challenges to the pediatric health care providers who will provide that ongoing care. Implications for primary care providers include knowledge and treatment modalities of the common complications of the preterm infant. These complications typically include chronic lung disease; catch up growth and additional nutritional needs, neurodevelopmental monitoring, feeding challenges, retinopathy of prematurity and apnea of prematurity. Each patient–parent dyad will need a customized approach to primary care, coordinating care with physical, occupational, and speech therapy as well as other specialist in order to accomplish the best long term outcomes. Strategies for success in meeting the health care needs of infants and families following transition from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to primary care are provided.