INFANT MASSAGING
Infant Massaging when done properly to preterm infants can help the infant drastically. In some research it has been shown that preterm infants who received infant massaging have responded with increased weight gain, improved development scores and the potential of being discharged from the hospital sooner. There are also benefits in having the parents perform the infant massaging, these include enhancing the bond between the parent and child. Here at, Early Development Therapy, we can perform the infant massaging as well as teach the parents how to properly massage their child.
SENSORY INTEGRATION
Sensory Integration dysfunction is when a child can’t take in or use their sensory information the way most of us do. For premature infants, sensory integration dysfunction is a higher risk for them.The reason for this is because they are out of their mother’s womb before their nervous system is ready to handle all of the sensory messages that happen in the outside world. Many of these kids with sensory integration may show sensory overload by having crying/screaming/meltdowns in new settings, avoiding from new situations or a straying away from their stringent routines. Occupational Therapy helps with integrating their nervous systems by using techniques such as Wilbarger brushing, vibration, vestibular/movement and deep pressure to help the baby/toddler focus and help them engage with others and their environment.
VISUAL PERCEPTUAL SKILLS
Visual Perceptual Skills is needed for basically every task we carry out. This includes the recognition and identification of colors and the ability to make judgments of sizes, shapes and relation of one object to another. Preterm infants have a larger chance of experiencing visual perceptual issues. As a premature infant ages, their vision issues may increase. As a child grows and visual perceptual issues are present, they will have difficulty with fine motor tasks, scribbling and coloring and scanning books with eyes. At Early Development Therapy we are trained to look for these in babies, toddlers and school age children.
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Fine motor movements begin in infancy, unlike what we had imagined. Fine motor involves coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers. Having fine motor skills allows child to do activities of daily living such as feeding themselves with utensils, manipulating toys, buttoning shirt, tying shoes and much more. Children develop fine motor skills at their own pace and its important for parents of infants (premature or not) and toddlers to remember that. As babies begin to understand that their hands, fingers, and feet are attached to their bodies, they are able to reach out to grasp toys and other objects. For example, around 6-9 months, babies should be able to hold, shake and manipulate items such as rattles, small toys and transfer objects back and forth between their left and right hands. Some children experience challenges in this skill, so its imperative that parents know what they are looking. Hit the above button to have a free consultation.
FEEDING DIFFICULTIES
Feeding difficulties do occur more often for preterm infants. With premature infants the feedings can be slow, it can cause reflux, and sluggish bowels to name a few. It is important for the parents to know the difficulties in feeding that they may experience and know ways to overcome those difficulties. We sit down with the parents and guide them through the difficulties and assist them in how to overcome them. These feeding difficulties do happen for both bottle and solid foods when it comes to preterm infants.
WHAT IS TORTICOLLIS?
Many parents in NICU or in the home setting get concerned when their baby tends to look one way. It can be difficult for baby to turn their neck, which is defined as torticollis, Latin for “twisted neck”. Torticollis may be due to positioning in utero, following a difficult delivery, or a lengthy NICU stay. Symptoms of torticollis typically are tilt or turn of the head in one direction, prefer scanning parent to midline and then stop tracking them in the other direction, or breastfeeding only on one breast. There are many different stretches to help alleviate torticollis, different holds parents can do to decrease the symptoms of torticollis. Additionally, tummy time while the baby is alert and supervised is highly recommended. For further discussion on this topic, please hit the button above for a free 15 minute consultation today!
SAFE SLEEPING PRACTICES
Safe Sleeping practices for premature infants is very important. The reason for this is premature infants are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than non-premature infants. Teaching the parents, the importance of safe sleeping and having the infant sleep on their back with nothing else in their crib is a vital step that we at Early Development Therapy do. We educate the parents on the importance of it to ensure that the infant will continue to sleep on their back once they are discharged.
TUMMY TIME
Tummy Time is the most important activity for a premature baby. Tummy time helps infants body movement and strength to develop naturally. For preterm infants, it is even more important since they are generally weaker than regular term infants. However, you can’t just put your preterm infant on their stomach, since they do not have as much strength as a regular term infant, they need more support to start out with. Our team at Early Development Therapy, works with the parents on how to properly conduct tummy time with their infant and how to eventually get it to where the infant is doing tummy time by themselves.
KANGAROO CARE
Kangaroo Care is when the parent holds their premature infant on their chest, skin to skin. This is good for the baby because it helps keep them warm, and helps with their breathing. Kangaroo Care is also good for the parents because it can help relieve stress and feel closer to their baby. Sometimes a premature infant is not well enough to be held, if that is the case touching your baby can also comfort them.
Give Your Child The Head Start They Deserve
If your child is experiencing developmental delays, Early Developmental Therapy Consultants can help. We offer children early developmental therapy to assist with their growth and development early on in life. You can ensure your child reaches those important milestones at their pace and get them ready for school so they won’t have further learning problems.
- Fun Approach to Learning
- Assistance with Everyday Tasks