Developmental Care Team
Supporting your baby’s growth and development from the NICU and beyond.
What is Developmental Care?
Developmental care is a specialized approach to caring for premature and medically fragile newborns that focuses on supporting healthy brain and nervous system development. Our developmental care team works alongside our neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners to provide a nurturing environment that promotes your baby’s long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being.
Our Approach
Individualized Developmental Support
Every baby is unique. Our team creates personalized developmental care plans tailored to each infant’s gestational age, medical condition, and developmental needs — adapting the plan as your baby grows and progresses.
NICU Environment Optimization
We carefully manage light, sound, and stimulation levels in the NICU to reduce stress on your baby’s developing nervous system. A calm, supportive environment plays a critical role in healthy neurological development.
Positioning & Handling
Proper positioning and gentle handling techniques help support your baby’s musculoskeletal development, comfort, and sleep. Our team educates families on how to hold and care for their baby in ways that promote healthy development.
Family Integration
Families are central to developmental care. We guide parents in skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care, reading their baby’s cues, and participating in daily caregiving — all of which have proven benefits for infant development and parent-infant bonding.
Developmental Services We Provide
Developmental Assessments
Regular evaluations to monitor your baby’s developmental progress and identify any areas that may need additional support.
Feeding Support
Guidance and support for oral feeding development, including breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and oral motor skill development for premature infants.
Early Intervention Referrals
Connecting families with early intervention services, therapists, and community resources to support continued development after NICU discharge.
Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up
Post-discharge follow-up clinics to track developmental milestones and provide ongoing support as your baby grows through infancy and early childhood.
Parent Education & Training
Teaching families how to recognize and respond to their baby’s developmental cues, promote sensory development, and create a supportive home environment.
Therapy Coordination
Coordination with physical, occupational, and speech therapists to provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to your baby’s developmental needs.
Have Questions About Your Baby’s Development?
Our developmental care team is here to help. Reach out to us anytime during office hours.
Southern Mississippi Neonatology 