Risk Baby Unit

Risk Baby Unit Started in August 2005, Risk Baby Unit, one of the innovative projects of ACT, has completed 17 years of its service. It is a mobile hospital- oriented new-born disability screening unit which functions in 4 hospitals in Kochi. These hospitals are Lakshmi Hospital, EMC, Lissie and CIMAR Hospital. The unit is headed by a Developmental Therapist who is trained and specialized in dealing with infants who are born with risks like Low Birth Weight, Prematurity, etc. The unit works under close supervision of the Neonatologist of respective hospitals. Each new born baby is thoroughly screened and assessed with the help of scientific evaluation tools to identify any potential delay in her/his developmental milestones. If any unusual delay or deviation is noticed in the developmental milestone, the baby is given rigorous stimulation and therapies right from the beginning so as to generate a professional interface at the earliest possible time. In 2022-23, the unit was able to screen 469 Babies. The unit identified around 10 new babies who had aberration from the normal development. 

So far, the unit has screened around 9000 new born babies since its inception in August 2005. The unit requires more attention and necessary steps need to be taken to help more new born babies under this category as the diagnosis extended at this stage is very effective. This is going to be one of the major priorities which we propose to provide in the coming years. Excellent and comprehensive facility for the early intervention at our base centre assures the continuity of various therapies till the child attains normalcy. In case, a child needs to continue the programme, we have these facilities extended till he/she attains the age of 18 years. Opening of a new early intervention facility for children with autism will strengthen this idea.