Developmental care translates into Les soins du développement in French. It is an individualized approach of care that aims at reaching the optimal potential of development in sick or premature infants admitted in neonatal units. This approach is based on the interpretation of newborns’ behavioral cues , and on specific interventions to maximize their adaptation to the outside environment by decreasing toxic stress and improving the participation of parents as active partners in the care of their infants. This philosophy of care allows us not only to promote and maximize the neurosensory integration essential to these infants’ neurological development, but also to diminish, and even prevent in some cases, long-term neurodevelopmental complications. Thus, it is neuroprotective and trauma-informed care.
We offer consultation, teaching, training and coaching in developmental neuroprotective age-appropriate trauma-informed care in the premature newborns and their families. We have several teaching programs as well as offer consultation and coaching with the institutional implementation of developmental neuroprotective care based on the Canadian leading practice and recent Guidelines in the field. These services are aimed mainly at health care professionals working in NICUs or in community settings and are available in Canada as well as overseas.
Our training include many trainings in developmental care, we offer numerous training and conferences in neonatalogy and perinatality, like a training on the clinical/physical exam of the newborn.