TRACK YOUR PREMATURE BABY DEVELOPMENT –MEET PAEDIATRIC PHYSIOTHERAPIST
What is a premature baby?
A premature baby is one that is born before 37 weeks. A baby that is born prematurely before the full 40 week gestation period is at higher risk of short and long term complications. Babies born before 37 weeks gestation are known as “preterm” and the earlier your baby is born the higher the risk of health problems.
PREMATURE BABY DEVELOPMENT
There are many causes for going into early labor, sometimes the reason remains unknown and it is often caused by a combination of complex factors. Prematurity affects about 8% of all births and most are between 32 and 36 weeks with 2% of births happening before 32 weeks. Many babies born prematurely make good progress with their development but some babies can have difficulty with their physical development and require early physiotherapy intervention. Premature babies often have low (floppy) muscle tone and may be described as having “hypotonia”. They may also have weak abdominal muscles that need strengthening to help them achieve their milestones. Physiotherapy can help to minimize the risk of these complications and assist your baby’s development so they are able to lead a normal active life in the future.
Causes of a premature baby
Often, the cause of having a baby prematurely is unknown. Some causes may include pre-eclampsia, illness in the mother, stress, antenatal hemorrhage and vaginal infection.
Symptoms a premature baby may experience
When a baby is born before 37 weeks, there may be medical problems that arise that affect the various organs and systems. Your baby may have neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal or hematologic problems. Physiotherapy can help to minimize your baby’s physical problems and improve overall quality of life.
Pediatric Physiotherapy for your premature baby
A Pediatric Physiotherapist is an important treatment partner for any child born prematurely. Physiotherapy should begin from the day 1, if baby health status allows it.
4 most important things where physiotherapist will guide parents of premature baby are:
Education on holding, carrying, and playing with the baby. Your physiotherapist will make suggestions for positioning, holding, and carrying your baby. Your therapist will provide ideas for positioning the baby on the back for sleep, and on the stomach for play when the baby is awake.
Fostering developmental skills. Some babies born prematurely have developmental problems. Your physiotherapist will help your child learn to master motor skills, such as holding up the head, sitting up, crawling, pulling to standing, and walking. Physiotherapists can help parents support their child’s development by providing hands-on training for movement, feeding, and play. Your therapist also may suggest changes at home to encourage movement development, communication, hearing, vision, and play skills.
Increasing strength.
Some babies born prematurely may have decreased muscle strength or tone associated with the prematurity. Your physiotherapist will teach you exercises and play activities to maintain or increase your baby’s strength. Your therapist will identify games and fun tasks that promote strengthening.
Orofacial neuromotor stimulation.
Some babies born prematurely will have difficulty in sucking milk. Your physiotherapist will stimulate orofacial neuromotor structures so that sucking reflex for your baby should improve, which will help in sucking milk. And very important reflex which has to activate at certain time.
Your specialist that is pediatric physiotherapist will carry out a detailed assessment on your baby in order to determine areas of muscle weakness, neurological signs and the rate of development. Your baby’s areas of difficulty will be discussed and a treatment plan will be formulated. Therapy sessions will be focused on the individual baby and will be specific to meet the needs of your child. A general physiotherapy treatment plan for a premature baby may include:
Muscle strengthening exercises and Stretches to maintain range of movement
Your physiotherapist will teach you a range of stretching and strengthening exercises to Complete with your baby on a regular basis. This will ensure your baby maintains full range of movement at each joint and has sufficient muscle strength to learn to roll and sit up. Your physiotherapist will also provide training and education regarding positioning aids, equipment, aids and specialist seating. Training can be deliver the main careers of your baby, relatives or friends.
Activities in supine, side-lying, rolling, sitting
Pediatric physiotherapist teach you various activities while lying so that your baby start moving his\her body in different position and attain weight bearing activities. Which will generate proprioception in joints. Also can do reaching activities in this position.
Social skills and participation during play
In physiotherapy center there are other children as well and they start interacting with each other. This will generate nature of social activities.
Positioning advice and equipment
In physical rehabilitation of child there are numerous exercises that are done with the help of assisted device or equipment. Which are easily available in physiotherapy center. And proper positioning of child which facilitates lying to sitting and sitting to standing.
Breathing exercises and sputum clearance techniques
This is very important part of rehab of premature child . And this include chest physiotherapy and breathing exercise of pediatric age patent only teach by pediatric physiotherapy because it is having some specific techniques like precautions, cupping tapping etc. If secretions remain in lungs and not treated then leads to pneumonia and other complications.
Speech and occupational therapy
This is also a noticeably major therapy which help child to gain speech and fine movement. This also provide in physiotherapy center.
YOGA
Yoga is one of the best form of exercise. Which will help not only patent but also parents as well to maintain mind stress free and concentrate on their goal.
Physiotherapy has proven clinical benefits for your baby. These include:
- Increased strength of arms, legs and trunk muscles
- Increased range of movement at the joints
- Increased ability to sit, crawl or stand
- Increased ability to interact with others during play
- Improved posture and body segment alignment during rest and play
- Prevention of secondary complications
Your baby’s rate of improvement will be monitored and re-evaluated regularly using objective outcome measures which describe improvements in functional ability and muscle strength. As your baby grows and develops, your physiotherapist will adapt treatment so that it is fun and challenging for your toddler.
TREATMENT OF CEREBRAL PALSY BY BEST PHYSIOTHERAPIST SERVICES IN DHAKOLI
A pediatric physiotherapist are experts to help parent to track your premature baby development and it is very important that it will notice on timely so that you can avoid complications and other difficulties as well. The physiotherapist examines the tone of muscle by proper assessment and guide you accordingly. Apart of this the physiotherapist check the various reflexes which are extremely important to diagnose on time if it delay then it become difficult to treat.
Moreover the pediatric physiotherapies will guide you regarding delay milestone and only they are who are consult you appropriate exercise through which only a child can attain his/her milestone according to age.
Blossom physiotherapy has, well qualified team of physiotherapist in dhakoli. Ultra modular equipment for exercise modalities . They provide world class technique. And also research- based technique of rehabilitation to overcome the difficulties face by the
child and parents. Here proper counseling is given by Dr Jyoti Gupta(pediatric physiotherapist) to parents. Blossom physiotherapy also provides yoga which will give fantastic result in calming the parents so that they easily concentrate on their work and child without getting exhausted.
At blossom physiotherapy center they have well qualified and experienced staff. Who understand parent’s worries and concerns for their premature baby. Our specialist physiotherapists are able to deliver a high standard of evidence based treatment in the clinic or home environment. Regular physiotherapy sessions will increase your baby’s rate of development, minimize secondary complications and improve the standard of life
Some other positive aspects of Blossom physiotherapy center are;
- No waiting lists
- Treatment in your home environment or in the clinic
- Treatment when you and your baby are ready
- Caring, experienced physiotherapists
- Learn how to help maximize your baby’s functional ability through specific handling and positioning techniques
- Supply of individual home exercise program
- Provision of ads and equipment for exercises
- Access to speech and language therapy
- Access to occupational therapy
So in the end Blossom physiotherapy is ready to help you in every manner. For further information log into blossomphysitherapy.
