Neonatal High-Risk Follow-Up Care

The Neonatal High-Risk Follow-Up Clinic at Rush University Medical Center partners with you to care for your baby and encourage their development after you leave the hospital. Our team of specialists evaluates your child's growth, neurologic status (muscle tone) and development up to two years of age.

We provide neurologic assessment and psychological testing above what your pediatrician and/or early interventional program routinely do. And we communicate the results and recommendations to you and your pediatrician.

Our team

  • Neonatologists will review your child's hospital course, perform a detailed exam of muscle tone and provide education on issues unique to your baby.
  • Registered dietitians will check how your child has been eating, will provide education and information on nutrition, and will make feeding recommendations personalized to your child.
  • Developmental psychologists will evaluate your child's cognitive, fine and gross motor skills, along with expressive and receptive language skills. This can help identify your child's strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to give you developmental and behavioral recommendations to help make the most of your child's development.
  • Pediatric physical therapists can assess your child and will teach you an exercise program tailored to your child.

Who We See in the Clinic

Babies seen in the clinic may include those with the following:

  • A birth weight less than 1500 grams (3 pounds, 5 ounces), or birth gestation less than 30 weeks
  • A history of treatment with whole body cooling for possible hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
  • Complex congenital heart disease or treated with ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)

Timing of Visits

Your baby will be schedule for visits at approximately 4, 8 and 20 to 22 months of age (corrected for prematurity when applicable). 

Additional visits may be scheduled for 12 to 15 months, as needed.

These visits are scheduled for you before your baby leaves the hospital. We will make every effort to reschedule your visits to coincide with days that your child may have other appointments at the Medical Center. 

Clinic Days and Location

Our clinic takes place each Wednesday at the following location:

Rush University Medical Center
Professional Building, Suite 710
1725 W. Harrison St.
Chicago, IL 60612

To make an appointment please call (312) 942-6640 to speak with our clinic coordinator.