Neonatal follow-up program: Where do we stand?

Neonatal follow-up program (NFP) is becoming the corner stone of standard, high quality care provided to newborns at risk of future neuorodevelopmental delay. Most of the recognized neonatal intensive care units in the developed countries are adopting NFP as part of their mandatory care for the best long term outcome of high risk infants, especially very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Unfortunately, in the developing and in underdeveloped countries, such early detection and intervention programs are rarely existing, mainly because of the lack of awareness of and exposure to such programs in spite of the increasing numbers of surviving sick newborns due to advancement in neonatal care in these countries. This is a review article to explore the Neonatal follow-up programs looking at historical development, benefts and aims, and standard requirements for successful program development that can be adopted in our countries. In conclusion, proper Neonatal follow-up programs are needed to improve neonatal outcome. Therefore all professionals working in the feld of neonatal care in developing countries should cooperate to create such programs for early detection and hence early intervention for any adverse long term outcome in high-risk newborn infants.