Part C early intervention utilization in preterm infants: Opportunity for referral from a NICU follow-up clinic

Objective: Early Intervention (El) services promote development for preterm infants. In the state of Illinois, Child and Family Connections (CFC) is the intake agency that determines qualification for El services. In Illinois, all extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are eligible for and referred to CFC at discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This study investigated: (1) patterns of CFC and El enrollment, and; (2) predictors of CFC enrollment, need for CFC referral, and high El therapy use among preterm infants seen in a NICU follow-up clinic. Methods: 405 preterm infants, including 169 ELBW infants, were seen in a NICU follow-up clinic at 4-, 8- and 20-months corrected age. CFC/EI data were collected at each visit. Multiple regression analyses adjusted for the effect of medical, sociodemographic and neurodevelopmental risk factors on CFC/EI outcome. Results: Despite the high rate of El utilization and routine care by primary pediatricians, up to 28% of ELBW infants required a CFC referral from a NICU follow-up clinic. Medical and neurodevelopmental risk factors were associated with CFC enrollment while medical, sociodemographic and neurodevelopmental risk factors were associated with need for CFC referral. Conclusion: NICU follow-up clinics facilitate appropriate CFC/EI services for preterm infants. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.