The high-risk newborns.

The term "high-risk newborns" identifies a group of newborns who very likely will develop a severe acute disease or an adverse outcome. Every day, neonatologists are faced with high-risk newborns that represent the majority of patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care units. Particularly, term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and very preterm newborns require special surveillance of growth and development. A specific follow-up program should be implemented to monitor the long-term outcome of these patients with special needs.