Neonatal Therapy

Your baby is developing every day.​

All babies have developmental milestones like sitting, crawling, walking and talking.

Premature babies may need help to develop their milestones.​

Your premature baby may be seen by Neonatal therapist while on Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), to help them gain skills they typically develop in the womb.

We may also see your full term baby while they are on SCBU.​ 

Our goal is to protect and promote development and growth.​

A Neonatal Therapist is an Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Speech and Language Therapist or Dietitian with advanced education and training specific to Neonatal development.

What can Neonatal Therapists help you do?​

• Understand your baby’s language or cues for feeding, stress and comfort​

• Understand how to comfort your baby​

• Experience bonding activities – like skin to skin holding​

• Understand what your baby can see, hear, feel, taste and smell​

• Understand you baby’s movement​

• SALT can observe feeds and offer specific feeding techniques to support the developmental feeding journey​

• Ensure your baby is meeting their nutritional requirements for optimal growth​

• Provide support for feeding your baby whether you are breastfeeding or giving formula​

• Touch, hold and handle your baby in a safe supportive ways​

• Understand how your baby is developing​

• Learn parenting techniques in SCBU​

• Understand the effects of the environment on your baby’s development​

• Understand safe sleep recommendations​

• Review developmental activities for home​

• Access information and/or referrals to therapy resources in the community​

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