Neurocritical Care Follow-Up Program

Your child has survived a critical illness or injury with the help of a stay in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). But time spent in the PICU can put your child at risk for physical, mental, educational and emotional issues that may slow their recovery. 

The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Neurocritical Care Follow-up Program (NCFP) is one of the few programs in the country dedicated to helping kids and families overcome these issues and get back to school, work and regular routines as soon as possible. 

How the Neurocritical Care Follow-up Program Can Help Your Child

Our goal is to is to make sure your child has the best possible recovery after a critical illness. 

A stay in the ICU can affect a child’s central nervous system and brain, causing trouble with their thinking, behavior or movement, even after their physical condition has improved. You might notice that your child can’t remember things or has trouble falling asleep. They may seem anxious or moody. Our NCFP team of specialists helps families to identify these issues and finds ways to address them.

We work with the family to identify small concerns before they become big ones, so children and their families can get the support and resources they need.  

Our team will:

• Diagnose physical concerns with fine motor skills (things like using a fork or coloring) and gross motor skills (things like walking or jumping) and make referrals to specialists or therapists who can address them
• Assess children’s developmental levels across all ages, from toddler to school-aged children, to boost their school readiness
• Identify new school challenges and make sure necessary adjustments or accommodations are available at school or in the school setting
• Provide intervention and referrals to help with difficulties in attention, behavior, emotions and social relationships