Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Care

Ochsner is the only nationally ranked congenital heart program in Louisiana and Mississippi. Our surgical results exceed national standards. We are also the only congenital heart program in the region with a neurodevelopmental follow up program. We offer a multidisciplinary approach to ensure your child is receiving the best care. Our well-trained team consists of speech therapists, physical therapists and pediatricians.

The congenital heart disease neurodevelopmental follow up clinic is part of the Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development.

Ted Atkinson, MD, Board-certified developmental pediatrician and head of the clinic
Diego Lara, MD, Pediatric cardiology liaison
Christina MacMaster, Physical Therapist
Lauren Papania, Occupational Therapist
Simone Laroussini, Speech Therapist

To refer a patient to the neurodevelopmental follow up clinic, please call Pediatric Cardiology at 504-842-5200 or the Boh Center at 504-493-2019.

Any patient who had heart surgery in the first year of life qualifies for the clinic.

The types of cardiac surgery that qualifies for the clinic includes:

high risk patients such as patients who had single ventricle lesions
lower risk patients who required neonatal heart surgery for lesions other than single ventricle (total anomalous pulmonary venous return or transposition of the great arteries).
Low risk patients who had surgery later in the first year of life like patients with ventricular septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot, etc.

Any children with CHD who had any of the following:

a history of mechanical support (ECMO or VAD)
a history of CPR
prematurity (<37 weeks)
developmental delay recognized in infancy
genetic abnormality or syndrome
heart transplantation
significant abnormalities on neuroimaging

Infants and toddlers will be evaluated with the Hammersmith Infant Screen and Bayley Developmental Scales. Patients considered high risk will be seen before at 3, 6, and 9 months and then at 1, 2, 3 years of age, before kindergarten, 5^th and 8^th grade. Patients considered standard risk will be seen at 1, 2, 3 years of age, before kindergarten, 5^th and 8^th grade.