Abstract
Purpose: The main aim of this paper was to investigate whether initiating physical therapy upon entry to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was beneficial for extremely low birth infants in terms of neonatal outcomes including motor development.
Methods: Nineteen extremely low birth infants under 1000 g, without a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, were included in this study. The neonates were first classified into one of two groups. Group 1 had physical therapy initiated on entry into the NICU. Neonates in Group 2 did not receive physical therapy while in the NICU. Statistical comparison were made with respect to eight perinatal characteristics. We then subdivided Group 2 into neonates who had initiation of physical therapy after discharge from the NICU (Group 2A) and neonates who had never been exposed to physical therapy (Group 3). Groups 2A and 3 were then compared with each other and Group 1 with regard to the corrected ages at which motor milestones were attained.
Results: There were significant differences in birth weight, the length of NICU stay, and number of days of intermittent mandatory ventilation between the infants receiving physical therapy and those not (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the corrected age at which milestones were attained irrespective of whether physical therapy was performed throughout the NICU stay or initiated after discharge.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that extremely low birth weight infants may benefit in terms of muscle tone and posture from physical therapy consisting of anti - gravity training and sensory system interventions initiated shortly after birth.
