About us.The Developmental Care, Early Intervention and Follow up Program (DCEIP) is an integral part of the division of neonatology. The program aims at providing infants individualized developmental care during their stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and after discharge.
In the NICU, a trained team supports the developmental care approach following the Neonatal Individualized Developmental Care model (NIDCAP) to NICU infants, health care providers and families. The team conducts regular rounds to observe infants’ behaviors, strengths and challenges. Based on those observations, the team sets goals and recommendations to benefit infants’ development for NICU staff and parents.
Infants graduating from the NICU are at risk of growth restriction, developmental delay and other co-morbidities. They are offered to be followed in a dedicated unit, the Neonatology Continuity Clinic (
Check the NCC Brochure). NCC serves as a multidisciplinary hub for the follow up of preterm and term infants at risk for long term morbidities. This follow up includes assessment of infants’ growth, nutrition, physical wellbeing, vision screening, neurodevelopment, cognitive and behavioral problems. At the end of each assessment, guidance for early intervention will be offered to help infants reach their growth and developmental potentials.
Who we are?
In the NICU, the DCEIP team consists of a neonatologist, two nurses, and a program coordinator. The team works in parallel with other disciplines in the NICU toward having developmentally supportive care using the NIDCAP framework. NIDCAP consists of a comprehensive approach that supports individual infant's stability and promotes developmental goals. In the NCC, a neonatologist, a developmental specialist, a nutritionist, a social worker and other specialists offer a holistic comprehensive approach for assessing the child’s physical, nutritional and developmental wellbeing as early as of two months corrected age until the age of three years.
Our mission
- To provide individualized developmental care based on NIDCAP principles for all infants admitted to NICU.
- To educate healthcare professionals, related disciplines and parents about developmental care.
- To provide a continuum of care with comprehensive and multidisciplinary service to patients “graduating” from the NICU.
- To ensure early detection and initiate intervention for any developmental delay.
- To support and educate parents on the risk of developmental delay and empower them to achieve healthy outcomes for their infants.
Our vision
- To establish a Center of Excellence at AUBMC in developmental care and early intervention for premature and critically ill infants.
- To establish the first NIDCAP certified unit in the country.
- To establish a NIDCAP training center at AUBMC.
Our Activities
The DCEIP team has been involved in different activities in the NICU. These include:
1- NIDCAP certification: NIDCAP benefits any infant admitted to the NICU in addition to his/her parents; this approach promotes parental bonding and involvement and ultimately improves infants’ outcome.
2-Weekly developmental care round in NICU
3-Medical and nursing staff education about developmental care practices.
4- Quality improvement (QI) projects:infant positioning, implementation of Kangaroo care, promotion of breastfeeding in the NICU, implementation of quiet time and improving admission temperature of preterm infants.
5-Research activities:
Publications:
Active research study:
- Impact of COVID 19 amid Multilayered Crisis on Social and Emotional Behaviors of Preterm Children and Parental Practices: a Cross-Sectional Study from Lebanon
- Use of Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development for Arabic Speaking Children in a Developing Country.
- Comprehensive Parenting Program to Enhance Preterm Infants’ Health and Development: A Randomized Controlled Trial. (PREPARE Trial)
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The effect of maternal scent on nutrition and development of preterm infants
- Effects of Oriental Music oN Preterm InfAnts: A Randomized Controlled Trial. (OMNIA trial).
For further information click here
Contact us
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Lama Charafeddine
MD FAAP Director, DCEIP, certified NIDCAP Professional
Telephone: +961-1-350000 ext. 5874
Email: lc12@aub.edu.lb
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Saadieh Masri
RN, MPH Coordinator, DCEIP, certified NIDCAP Professional
Telephone: +961-1-350000 ext.7454
Email: sm52@aub.edu.lb
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Grace Abdel Nour
RN certified NIDCAP Professional
Telephone: +961-1-350000 ext.6275
Email: ga29@aub.edu.lb
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Amal Saad
RN certified NIDCAP Professional
Telephone: +961-1-350000 ext.6275
Email: as39@aub.edu.lb
