In Flanders, several organizations and centers are responsible for the continued follow‑up of premature babies. These include the COS, Kind & Gezin, the CLB, and others.
Organizations and centers for follow-up
Want to know more?
Scroll further down
Scroll further down
Center for developmental disorders (COS)
< 32 WEEKS AND/OR < 1500 G
When a child is born after a pregnancy of less than 32 weeks and/or with a birth weight below 1500 g, the child is automatically followed up by the COS.
> 32 WEEKS AND/OR > 1500 G
Babies born with a gestational age of more than 32 weeks and/or a birth weight of more than 1500 g are not automatically followed by the COS. They can, however, receive follow‑up within the COS if there are concerns regarding development and/or behavior.
The COS is responsible for the follow‑up of premature infants, with the aim of detecting behavioral and developmental difficulties as early as possible and recommending appropriate treatment. For parents, it is meaningful to know whether their child’s development is delayed, average, or advanced. A multidisciplinary team assesses the children at fixed intervals between the corrected age of 3 months and 5.5 years. This team consists of a physician, psychologist or educational specialist, physiotherapist, speech therapist, (social) nurse, and/or social worker. The results of the assessments are discussed with the parents, along with tailored advice. If treatment is needed, the COS refers families to other services and organizations.
During the follow‑up appointments, various domains are evaluated, including motor skills, behavior, cognitive and social development, speech and language development, and more. For frequently asked questions (How long does the assessment take? Should anything be brought for the child? What is the cost? etc.), the website of the COS provides further guidance.
There are five centers and two satellite locations in Belgium, each covering a specific region.
FLANDERS:
COS Antwerp
- Prins Boudewijnlaan 43, 2650 Edegem
- 03 436 83 00
COS Ghent
- UZ Gent 2K5 Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Gent
- 09 332 57 44
Satellite location Bruges
AZ Sint Jan Ruddershove 10, 8000 Brugge
COS Leuven
- Tervuursevest 242c, 3000 Leuven
- 016 33 75 08
Satellite location Limburg
- Stadsomvaart 11, 3500 Hasselt
- +32 11 33 50 33 (Jessa Ziekenhuis Hasselt)
- +32 89 32 76 79 (ZOL Genk)
BRUSSELS:
COS Brussels
- Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussel (Jette)
- 02 477 56 95
Kind en Gezin
Just like full‑term newborns, preterm babies are also followed up by Kind & Gezin. Expectant parents can already make use of Kind & Gezin during pregnancy. During an initial home visit in pregnancy, the family is introduced to the service, expectations are discussed, and tailored information and support are provided.
After the premature baby is discharged from the hospital, Kind & Gezin continues to provide preventive follow‑up through consultation office visits and home visits. A total of 16 contact moments are scheduled. These appointments address both medical aspects (growth, development, vaccinations, etc.) and psychosocial topics (including parenting and upbringing, parental and child well‑being, emotional regulation, and more). The trajectory with the family starts during pregnancy and continues until the child begins school at 2.5 years of age.
For the follow‑up of premature infants, additional medical appointments are scheduled at 12 weeks, 6 months, and 13 months of chronological age. Extra support through tailored home visits or consultations is always possible.
Growth
At each consultation, the baby’s weight, length, and head circumference are measured. These data are plotted on growth charts. For preterm infants, the presentation of the measurements is adjusted to account for the number of weeks of prematurity. In this way, the gradual catch‑up growth, which may continue until toddler or preschool age, becomes clearly visible on the growth chart.
Development
During the first years of life, a child’s development progresses very rapidly. Every child develops at an individual pace, depending on innate characteristics, encouragement, and the opportunities provided. To monitor a child’s development, Kind & Gezin uses the Van Wiechen assessment.
In close collaboration with the COS, Kind & Gezin has created a developmental trajectory for premature infants based on the Van Wiechen assessment. This approach always takes into account the number of weeks the baby was born early and includes additional attention to developmental needs. Consideration is also given to the parents and the broader family context.
The nurse or physician may offer guidance to stimulate specific developmental domains (e.g., fine motor skills, gross motor skills, communication, etc.), always in line with the child’s and the family’s capabilities. If developmental concerns are identified, referral to the treating physician is arranged.
Vaccinations
For preterm infants, vaccinations start at 8 weeks of age, as with full‑term infants. At 12 weeks, an additional dose of the pneumococcal vaccine is administered. The vaccines that are normally scheduled at 15 months are given earlier, at 13 months. For medical reasons, deviations from this vaccination schedule may be required.
Consult the basic vaccination schedule of Kind & Gezin here.
CLB
Once the child starts school, the follow‑up trajectory continues through the Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding (CLB). Throughout the school career, five systematic contact moments are scheduled. During these moments, the child’s development is closely monitored. The first contact moment, which takes place in the first year of kindergarten, is planned in the presence of the parents.
In addition to the systematic contact moments, parents can contact the CLB with questions related to learning and studying, educational pathways, psychological and social functioning, and preventive health care, such as health concerns, vaccinations, growth disorders, and more.
The contact details of the CLB in the local area can be found on the Onderwijskiezer website: www.onderwijskiezer.be.