Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 40

REPORT NEONATAL
Neonatal OT on tour:
Small babies, Big Apples
Emily Hills reflects on her recent study tour, which involved shadowing two
experienced neonatal occupational therapists in New York City, followed by
attending the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) 2018 annual
conference, held in Charlotte, North Carolina, to present a poster
O
ccupational therapists are core members
of the neonatal multidisciplinary team.
As occupational therapy is the only allied
health care profession trained in both
born into an environment that is in direct contrast to the
uterine environment will impact on typical development
and alter the course of expected parenting for their
families.
mental health and physical health, they are ideally suited
to support parental mental health and wellbeing during
this vulnerable and frightening time, while also facilitating
optimal development of the neonate.
Using a neuroprotective approach the occupational Over the last few years, occupational therapy
students have regularly contacted the neonatal unit
where I work in North London requesting a student
placement in this ‘emerging’ area of work.
I am always quick to point out that neonatal
therapist will combine neurobehavioural, neuromotor
and sensory knowledge to facilitate neonatal
development.
Neonatal occupational therapists are trained to
have a thorough knowledge of fetal, motor, sensory
and feeding development. They understand that being occupational therapy is not an emerging area, but a
well-established, evidence-based role. There have
been neonatal occupational therapists working in the
UK since the 1990s. NHS England (2017) neonatal
specification peer review states that neonatal units
should have access to occupational therapists
40 OTnews January 2019
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