The Neonatal Follow-up Program provides longitudinal assessments and clinical management of high risk infants from birth to nine years of age. Referrals are accepted from the NICU, community physicians and early Intervention. Dr. Betty Vohr directs the Neonatal Follow-Up Program, which has been providing supplemental care to infants since 1974.

The program offers comprehensive follow-up care and provides support services for high risk infants and children up to 16 years of age. The goal is to support optimal growth, developmental and behavioral outcomes for all children, providing psychosocial support for mothers, and serving as a consultant for primary care providers.

All infants considered at increased risk of medical or developmental sequelae may be scheduled for the Follow-Up Program. Eligibility includes premature infants with a birth weight less than 1500 grams; infants of any birth weight with special problems in the newborn period; and infants discharged on oxygen, an apnea monnitor or pulse oximeter. RHODE ISLAND HEARING ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

Dr. Vohr is also the director of the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Program (RIHAP) which coordinates universal hearing screening for the state of Rhode Island. RIHAP screens all infants born in the state by oto-acoustic emission (OAE), or distortion product emission or auditory brainstem evoked response (ABR).

Rhode Island was the first state in the United States to successfully implement universal hearing screening. Since that time, RIHAP has screened 99% of Rhode Island’s newborn babies (14,000 annually), as well as providing or coordinating the habilitation of hearing of all the children identified with hearing loss. Our new outpatient Pediatric Audiology Clinic is located at the same site as the Neonatal Follow-up Clinic.