The Follow-up Center for Newborns and Children under 3 Years of Age, from the Risk Group for Developmental Delay and/or the Occurrence of Chronic Diseases as a department of the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology named after O.M. Lukyanova of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine" was established in 2022.
The scientific leader of the Follow-up Center is a deputy director of perinatal medicine, a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, professor T.K. Znamenska
Since February 24, 2022, with the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the load on the Follow-up Center has increased due to appeals by internally displaced persons (IDPs), and persons from temporarily occupied territories.
The purpose of creating the Follow-up Center as part of the Institute is to promote the early discharge of children from the institution's departments with the minimization of the risk of nosocomial infection, the optimization of breastfeeding, the training of parents with their involvement in the developmental care of the child, the early start of rehabilitation measures, early intervention to prevent the formation of chronic pathology and disability, especially taking into account the possibilities of subsequent long-term observation and correction of prescribed treatment, development of epicrisis individualized family plan for primary care doctors.
The main functions of the Follow-up Center are:
- early detection of deviations and possible retardation in the development of children (motor ability, hearing, vision, sleep, vigilance, attention, speech) and the introduction of schemes necessary for treatment, consultations and research, implementation of rehabilitation measures in the early stages;
- monitoring of children's development in the main five areas of development (motor, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and communication);
- monitoring of somatic disorders in children and their correction;
- raising parents' awareness of children's health and involving them in the processes of children's development;
- outpatient consultation of children and development of individual plans for their observation;
- development and implementation of a complex of individual preventive measures;
- implementation of screening and medical and diagnostic measures;
- provision of advice on rational nutrition, preservation, and strengthening of health, immunization of the child, and early identification of life-threatening symptoms of the child;
- examination of the child by professional specialists (neurologist, ophthalmologist, orthopedic traumatologist, and others as needed);
- coordination and interaction with medical and social structures (primary health care, children's hospitals, centers of medical and social rehabilitation, centers of social services for family and youth).
Scientific employees of the Department of Neonatology and highly qualified specialists of the Institute take an active part in the advisory work: a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, professor T.K. Znamenska, professor O.V. Vorobiova, Candidate of Medical Sciences Nikulina L.I., Candidate of Psychological Sciences Zbrozhik E.V., Candidate of Medical Sciences Shveikina V.B. on the basis of the Follow-up Center with the registration of patients at the main place of work (offline/online consultations), with the provision of highly qualified medical care for children from the risk group of Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine. In particular, during the period of operation of the Center, most applications were recorded from the Kyiv region, as well as from Volyn, Rivne, Cherkasy, Poltava, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr regions.
A multidisciplinary team of doctors of the Follow-up Center takes monitors the health and development of children who belong to the risk group, with the aim of early detection of abnormalities in their health and development, prevention of possible diseases, and referral of children to specialized services. From January 3, 2022, to the present, more than 60 premature children are being monitored, which is 8% of the total number of applications.
