title: Part C early intervention utilization in preterm infants: Opportunity for referral from a NICU follow-up clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early Intervention (EI) services promote development for preterm infants. In the state of Illinois, Child and Family Connections (CFC) is the intake agency that determines qualification for EI 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 EI enrollment, and; (2) predictors of CFC enrollment, need for CFC referral, and high EI 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 EI 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NICU follow-up clinics facilitate appropriate CFC/EI services for preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Behavioral Sciences & Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, 1653W Congress Parkway, 1200 Kellogg Building, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Electronic address: Michelle_Greene@rush.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Kousiki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patra
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000359:Aftercare; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D007223:Infant; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D065886:Neurodevelopmental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: NICU follow-up; Part C early intervention; Preterm infant outcome