In the NICU at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, our teams provide nationally-recognized neonatal care for babies and offer neonatal therapy services to help premature babies, medically complex and full-term infants gain skills that they typically develop in the womb while they are hospitalized.
Every baby has developmental milestones like sitting, crawling, walking and talking. Babies in the NICU also have developmental milestones such as movement, level of alertness and feeding. The neonatal therapy team consists of occupational therapists (OT), physical therapists (PT), or speech-language pathologists (SLP) who provide direct patient care and consultative services for patients in the NICU to help promote healthy development and growth to reach these milestones and many others.
The specially trained therapists help nurture babies and promote parent-infant interactions during all stages of a NICU admission. The neonatal therapy team will help parents and caregivers:
The neonatal therapists at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital have advanced education and training in neonatal development, diagnoses, and medical interventions inherent to the NICU setting. These specially trained therapists also work to prevent issues by facilitating an environment that promotes a positive environment for success.
Many members of our team are certified in neonatal touch and massage, which is a type of therapy that combines a holistic approach to infant massage. The goal of neonatal touch and massage is to maximize positive long-term development of the infant and give families the opportunity and tools to bond with their baby.
Additionally, several of our neonatal therapists are board certified in neonatal therapy. This certification identifies occupational therapists, physical therapists, and/or speech-language pathologists who have demonstrated the advanced and specific expertise to effectively serve high-risk infants and families in the NICU.
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