Children with Chronic Conditions
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Epidemiology & Health Services Pathway
Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health
Hypertension
Neonatology
Scholarly Sessions
Jonathan Litt, MD, MPH, ScD (he/him/his)
Neonatologist
Neonatology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Preterm birth is associated with increased risk for medical and developmental vulnerabilities throughout the life course. Complications experienced during the initial neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization – and the invasive therapies and procedures with which they are treated – may threaten survival in the short-term and optimal growth and development in the long-term. As the youngest survivors of preterm birth reach adulthood, it has become evident that risks to physical health, mood and behavior, and cognition persist.
Large-scale epidemiologic studies of former preterm infants show alterations in health metrics and outcomes such as pulmonary function tests, renal function, hypertension, and heart failure. We know that infants are at higher risk for these adverse health outcomes, but preventive measures are not always in place. We will establish a framework for how NICU follow-up can begin early health screening to optimize the health of infants in a population health model for clinical care and quality improvement initiatives.
Panelists will provide evidence-based findings that support an approach to preterm infant health across the life course, with proposed strategies to identify earlier opportunities to treat organ system dysfunction.
We will address health inequities that face infants and families after graduation from the NICU, and the importance of early measures to provide access to care and resources for optimal health outcomes.
Here we explore the impact of preterm birth on health, growth, and development over the life course and argue that a life course perspective demands robust longitudinal follow-through after NICU discharge
Speaker: Jonathan S. Litt, MD, MPH, ScD – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School
Speaker: Deirdre O'Reilly, MD, MPH – Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Speaker: Mandy B. Belfort, MD, MPH – Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Speaker: Tahagod Mohamed, MD – Nationwide Children's Hospital/ The Ohio State University
Speaker: Yarden S. Fraiman, MD, MPH – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School
Speaker: Jonathan S. Litt, MD, MPH, ScD – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School