Physical Therapy Techniques for Infants

Physical therapy is often prescribed by doctors to treat a number of illnesses, injuries or other debilitating conditions, including brain trauma and burn wounds. Physical therapists use a number of treatments like exercise and massage to help patients recover and develop, and these are often preferred over surgical procedures. Therapy techniques are also recommended for infants to treat a number of conditions.

Tummy Time

• One of the most common types of physical therapy for infants is what pediatricians call "tummy time." Tummy time is a therapy in which mothers lay their infants on the stomachs for one to two minutes, multiple times during the day, like after naps, diaper changes and feedings. This recommendation comes as a response to the 1992 initiative of the American Academy of Pediatrics called "Back to Sleep." Parents were told to lay babies on their backs when they are placed in cribs, in an effort to avoid SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) This initiative, as well as, the commonality of babies remaining in sitting positions in car seats and carriers, has led researchers to believe that all the time spent in one position (on the back) causes motor-skills delays in infants. The American Physical Therapy Association or APTA urges mothers to allow infants to spend as much time as possible on their tummies to counteract all the time spent on their backs.

Kangaroo Care

• Physical therapy for infants does not always involve the little guy doing all the work. Kangaroo care is a therapy that began in Columbia, due to the need for incubators. Small babies were placed on their mother's chests, underneath their clothing, for direct skin-to-skin contact. Neo-natal intensive care units in America adopted the practice for the benefit of premature infants. The skin-to-skin therapy helps the baby's physical stability and behavioral cognition, as well as, promotes much-needed bonding between the baby and his caregiver. Once the therapy is in place, the baby responds with better respiration, higher oxygen levels, lower incidences of sleep apnea, weight gain and decreased hospital length of stay.

Post-surgery Therapy

• Infants who experience difficulties during fetal development may require surgery early in life. During recovery, physical therapists often evaluate these patients to determine the level and type of therapy needed for recovery. The need for physical therapy depends on how well the baby is growing and developing. An initial evaluation is taken before surgery and then the baby is re-evaluated, afterward. Any developmental or physical delays may bring on a number of therapeutic techniques, including, muscle manipulation, body positioning, help with sensory development and exercises that build gross and fine motor skills.