[Preterm infant follow-up program in Lombardy Region-- Italy]

The correct management of preterm babies requires, after discharge, an adequate follow-up program. The plan could be adjusted in relation to economical rises, rooms and staff amount of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), varying its length and number of visits for patient for year. A survey was performed in Lombardy Region, Italy, to evaluate the differences among the various follow-up programs and to find a possible common approach suitable by all NICUs. A 23 questions formulated questionnaire, with multiple choice answers, has been sent to the referents of outpatients management of any NICU of the Region. The answers obtained from 13 of the 17 Units interviewed have been evaluated. All NICUs have a follow-up program, including ophthalmological, neurological, cardiac and audiometric evaluations. The plan length vary by 1 to 7 years; annually a mean of 130, and daily a mean of 7.4 patients are visited. At discharge all NICUs provide a clinical report to the family, but it is mailed to the Primary Care Physician just in 54% of cases. The differences founded among the follow-up programs resulted not significant for the preterm management, therefore it is possible to uniform the different plans, improving communication and interaction between NICUs and Primary Care Physicians.