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. 2022 Jun 15;9(6):895.
doi: 10.3390/children9060895.

Early Physiotherapy Intervention Program for Preterm Infants and Parents: A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial

Mirari Ochandorena-Acha  1   2 , Marc Terradas-Monllor  1   3 , Laura López Sala  2 , Maria Engracia Cazorla Sánchez  2 , Montserrat Fornaguera Marti  2 , Isabel Muñoz Pérez  2 , Thais Agut-Quijano  2 , Martín Iriondo  2 , Joan Carles Casas-Baroy  1
Affiliations

Early Physiotherapy Intervention Program for Preterm Infants and Parents: A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial

Mirari Ochandorena-Acha et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: The early developmental interventions might be designed with a preventative approach to improving the development of at-risk preterm infants. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an early physiotherapy intervention on preterm infants' motor and global development, and on parents' stress index.

Methods: 48 infants were enrolled and randomized into two groups. Infants allocated to the intervention group received an early physiotherapy intervention, based on parental education sessions and tactile and kinesthetic stimulation during the NICU period, as well as a home-based activity program. The intervention commenced after 32 weeks post-menstrual age and ended at 2 months corrected age. Infants allocated to the control group received the usual care based on the NIDCAP-care.

Results: No differences were found between groups on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale at 2- or 8-months corrected age. Infants in the intervention group showed more optimal fine motor, problem-solving, personal-social, and communication development at 1 month corrected age.

Conclusions: The results showed no effect on the early physiotherapy intervention. Results might be related to the dose or intensity of the intervention, but also to the poor parental compliance.

Clinicaltrials: gov NCT03313427.

Keywords: motor development; neonates; parent training; quantitative methods.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Example of the intervention protocol for a preterm infant born at 31 weeks of gestational age. The protocol was adapted depending on the infant’s gestational weeks at birth. PI: preterm infant; TKS: tactile-kinesthetic stimulation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow-chart. * Mothers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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