Overview
The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program
Advances in perinatal and newborn intensive care have greatly decreased the
mortality rates for preterm newborns and newborns otherwise at high risk for
developmental compromise. The challenge confronting healthcare professionals,
who care for these infants and their families, is not only to assure the
infants' survival, but to optimize their developmental course and outcome.
Effective developmental care implementation on a nursery-wide basis is the goal
of all training and consultation provided in the NIDCAP framework. A key focus
of the NIDCAP program is the educational and consultative support and assistance
to NICU and special care nursery settings towards effective delivery of
intensive and special care in a neurodevelopmentally supportive, individualized,
and family-centered framework
Based on extensive experience, moving towards successful delivery of newborn
intensive care in a developmental framework is typically a multi-year process.
It involves a dedicated team working towards the common goal of providing the
best in developmental care for the infants in their units and for their
families.
Training is currently available from sixteen NIDCAP training centers, ten in the
United States, five in Europe, and one in South America.
The Program Guide and the
Training Centers page offer contacts for those who wish to discuss details
about the NIDCAP program. Please contact the training center nearest to you.
For more information please see Frequently Asked Questions
about NIDCAP or Frequently Asked Questions about
APIB
Change is never easy. In the fast paced world of the complex medical,
technological, multifaceted environment of the NICU, the process of change
presents many challenges. Providing relationship based developmentally
supportive care in the NICU is, of necessity, an evolving process.
Rodd Hedlund, MEd,
NIDCAP Trainer (Developmental Observer, Vol.
2, No. 1)