Early Physical Therapy Intervention in Preterm Infants

Early Physical Therapy Intervention in Preterm Infants During the Stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and at Home to Promote Motor Development

The hypothesis of this study is that early physical therapy intervention, initiated during the NICU stay and up to 2 months corrected age, based on the family-centered model, could promote preterm infants motor development in short-term (2 months corrected age) and long-term (8 months corrected age).

There is a high evidence level of different systematic reviews, which support the effectivity of early intervention with preterm infants.

The principal aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of early physiotherapy intervention to promote motor development in preterm infants at 2 and 8 months corrected age.

The secondary purpose is to study the motor development of those preterm infants who received early physical therapy intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Preterm infants, gestational age between 28-34 weeks
• Families with ability to take care of the child, without chronic or mental illness
• Long-term parental presence in the hospital (at least 10h/day)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children diagnosed with congenital disease or brain injury (LPV, HIV), before or during the study
• Children undergoing major surgery (cardiac intervention, Ductus, thoracic intervention)
• Children with musculoskeletal deformities