Impact of physiotherapy on neuromotor development of premature newborns

Abstract

Introduction The population of children born prematurely has increased in line with improving the quality of perinatal care. It is essential to ensure to these children a healthy development. Objective We evaluate the neuromotor development of a group of preterm infants regularly assisted by a physiotherapy service in comparison to full-term newborns, checking, so the impact of the service. Materials and methods We randomly assigned preterm and full-term infants that formed two distinct groups. The group of preterm infants was inserted into a monitoring program of physiotherapy while the other infants were taken as a control group not receiving any assistance in physiotherapy. The groups were compared using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) at forty-week, four and six months of corrected gestational age and the scores were compared using Student's t-test, assuming a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). Results The preterm group had significantly lower scores at 40th week compared to the control group, but subsequent scores showed no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion The timely and adequate stimulation was efficient to promote the motor development of premature infants included in a follow up clinic.

The effects of early-stage neurodevelopmental treatment on the growth of premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit

“…In the neonatal intensive care unit, physical therapists can help premature infants grow by enhancing their posture control, which is necessary for digestion, feeding, and breathing, and by maintaining the range of motion, shaping the skull, and improving movement control, dietary performance, adaptation to the environment, and behavioral stability ( McManus and Capistran, 2008 ). In other countries, where they are recognized for their abilities and expertise in these areas, physical therapists are involved in prenatal interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit as specialists to prevent developmental delays and promote normal development ( Cameron et al, 2005 ; Coutinho et al, 2014 ; Ferrari et al, 2007 ; Massaro et al, 2009 ; Vaivre-Douret et al, 2009 ). However, in Korea, physical therapists still have only limited access to neonatal intensive care units, and their role as specialists in this area has not been established due to the lack of awareness of early-stage physical therapy to promote growth and development in premature infants.…”

Motor development of preterm and term infants in the fundamental movement phase: a cross-sectional study

“…A study that analyzed the effectiveness of physical therapy in premature infants found that proper physiotherapy could be an effective tool in facilitating skills acquisition (11).…”

Effects of vibration techniques and expiratory flow acceleration on pain parameters in premature infants with pneumonia

“…According to Coutinho et al 17 , physiotherapeutic interventions have provided significant benefits for PTNB and low-weight premature infants. Campos et al 18 observed that respiratory physiotherapy stabilizes the hemodynamic variables and is considered fundamental in the treatment of pneumonias.…”