The newborn nursery i n a n inner-city hosp. provides an opport u n i t y f o r t h e detection and treatment of abnormalities i n a high r i s k population. Twelve months of b i r t h s a t Boston City llospital were reviewed to determine t h e incidence of conditions requiring follow up. This was t h e f i r s t s t a g e of a project designed t o determine t h e extent and sources of follow up care received. Of t h e 1700 l i v e b i r t h s studied, approximately 8% were f o d t o have a major o r moderate abnormality on t h e basis of predetermined c r i t e r i a . An additional 8% were considered a t r i s k because of a medical condition of t h e i n f a n t such a s prematurity, hyperbilirubinemia, o r RDS; and 6': because of a medical problem of a parent such a s a mother with TB, s y p h i l i s , o r drug and alcohol abuse. Using hosp. records, an attempt was made t o l o c a t e abnormal and a t r i s k children t o determine current s t a t u s . Only 10% of t h e sample could be located. Further attempts were made t o increase follow up using Neighborhood Health Centers, Headstart, death c e r t i f i c a t e s , Crippled Children Program and Ibusing Authority records, and were unsuccessful. Welfare data could m t be obtained. The i n a b i l i t y t o find t h e sample suggests high geographic mobility, s e l f r e f e r r a l t o multiple resources f o r care, parental unawareness, o r a resolution of t h e condition. If t h e po l a t i o n continues to be a t r i s k without t h e benefit of needed m s c a l services, then t h e hosp. has f a i l e d i n t h e important area of parental guidance and support. During the sunrmer, 1976, a l l parents whose babies were admitted t o intensive care nurseries i n Vermont o r New Hampshire between January 1. 1975, and June 30. 1976. were mailed questionnaires.The instrument was designed t o obtain opinions about care t h a t t h e i r child received under a regional p e r i n a t a l care program.The population contained 610 families of which 31% responded. A r e l i a b i l i t y check indicated t h a t poor, unemployed and underinsured people were somewhat underrepresented i n the sample. But given the length of the questionnaire and the topic with which it d e a l t , t h e response r a t e was judged t o be a good one.Issues addressed by the survey included whether o r not parents' experiences affected t h e i r thinking about having more children (40% anwered a t l e a s t a qualified "yes"), whether or not parents understood t h e i r c h i l d ' s i l l n e s s and its treatment (15% said they had d i f f i c u l t y ) . whether or not they wanted t o see o r hold t h e i r baby p r i o r t o transport (18% had reservations about doing s o ) , and t h e i r perception of t h e q u a l i t y of care received.Using a s c a l i n g technique which allowed parents t o standardize t h e i r mm responses, most parents rated care i n t h e regional center very high. Those parents whose babies were taken t o a regional center f o r care rated the cente...

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