Commentary by Danna Biala, MD, FAAP
Published December 2023

Formerly preterm patients who have been discharged from the hospital require well-child care just as term infants do. During these visits, you might be caring for infants who have chronic conditions and/or sequalae of preterm birth in addition to providing routine health maintenance and anticipatory guidance. This module offers resources including book chapters, articles, policy statements and clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and caregiver guides that can assist primary care physicians with providing well-child care to this patient population. The chapter “Well-Child Care for Preterm Infants” in Berkowitz’s Pediatrics: A Primary Care Approach presents an overview of caring for preterm infants in the outpatient setting.

Further reading:

● Neonatology for Primary Care, 2nd Edition (particularly Chapter 40)

● Neonatal Care: A Compendium of AAP Clinical Practice Guidelines and Policies, 2nd Edition

Keywords: NICU graduate; preterm infants; vulnerable child syndrome; home apnea monitors; developmental surveillance; early intervention; medically complex infants