The Infant Neurodevelopment Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute evaluates and treats infants with a wide variety of medical issues that could put them at risk for developmental delays.

Our goal is to provide early identification and intervention to reduce your baby’s risk of future challenges with language, hearing, sight, feeding, and behavioral, motor and intellectual development.

The Importance of Well Child Visits

Dr. Mary Leppert discusses the importance of pediatric well visits and seeing your pediatrician regularly during these challenging times.

The Importance of Follow Up After a Stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

When a baby is placed in a hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), it can be upsetting. But leaving the hospital can sometimes be just as stressful.

Who We Serve:

We follow infants identified in utero, at birth or in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as having one or more conditions putting them at risk for having a developmental concern.

These include infants who have:

  • Experienced a brain injury, such as a neonatal brain hemorrhage or stroke
  • Experienced oxygen deprivation to the brain
  • Prenatal conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia
  • Experienced neurologic complications in the NICU
  • Genetic disorders identified in the nursery
  • Microcephaly (or who are at risk for having microcephaly)
  • A low birth weight or were born prematurely

Our Treatment Approach:

We know it can be stressful for parents with a baby in the NICU. Our center can guide you and your baby as you journey through the months after discharge in a number of ways:

  • To help identify areas of developmental delay or concern, your baby will receive a comprehensive evaluation by our experienced specialists in neonatal development to ensure your child grows and develops properly. Infants are generally seen three to four times during their first year, twice in their second year and one to two times in their third year.

    Early identification and treatment of developmental delays may prevent or reduce long-term problems associated with prematurity and serious newborn illnesses. Infants and toddlers are evaluated in terms of their gross motor skills, visual motor skills, cognition, language skills, socialization skills and sensory impairments (vision and hearing).
  • We will create a plan to help determine appropriate early intervention services and generate suitable referrals.
  • You will be given every opportunity to ask questions about your baby’s development and behavior.
  • You will receive feedback with recommendations for intervention and treatment options.
  • Your plan can easily be shared with your baby’s care provider, pediatrician and other community professionals, at your request.

Our Team:

The Infant Neurodevelopment Center’s interdisciplinary team includes healthcare professionals from a wide range of specialties. They work together to ensure the best possible outcomes for your baby. Team members include:

  • Nurse practitioners trained in development
  • Neonatologists
  • Neurodevelopmental specialists
  • Neurologists
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Physical therapists
  • Nurses

The center can also provide access to additional support and services, as needed, from the following pediatric specialists:

  • Nutritionists
  • Feeding disorders specialists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Audiologists
  • Orthopedists

Related Materials and Information:

Please note: Appointments average 60 minutes in length but can range from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on your child’s needs. Be sure to bring all necessities for diapering and feeding. The appointment will be used solely to focus on you and your baby, so if your child has other siblings, please arrange care for them during your visit.