A Model Program: Neonatal Nurse Practitioners Providing Community Health Care for High-Risk Infants

Perinatal drug exposure costs our communities millions of dollars each year in hospital fees and in services such as foster care, child protection, and drug treatment. Infants and their families in this group require substantial long- term health care and community resources. Neonatal health care providers should take an active role in developing and implementing home visitation programs to support early hospital discharge and continuity of care for these high- risk infants and their families. Neonatal nurse practitioners should prepare in the future to practice not only in secondary- and tertiary-level neonatal centers, but also in follow-up clinics, long-term developmental centers, and the community. This article describes a home intervention program delivered by neonatal nurse practitioners for high-risk infants and their mothers. The target population is infants exposed prenatally to drugs and/or alcohol.