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Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation in High Risk of Infants

S

Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi

Status

Completed

Conditions

Early Intervention

Treatments

Other: Home-based
Other: Telerehabilitation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05333224
09.2021.853

Details and patient eligibility

About

While the mortality rate in preterm births has decreased thanks to recent developments in the field of medicine, disability risk factors increase for premature babies. Premature birth, low birth weight, and all accompanying problems in this process reveal the concept of the risky baby. Early intervention is very important for these babies who are at risk for neurodevelopmental problems. Although early intervention is a general concept, the subject the investigators focus on is early physiotherapy approaches. Early physiotherapy approaches include many methods. However, recently, family-centered approaches have been emphasized and studies have been carried out on this issue; Likewise, the goal-oriented therapy approach, which is a treatment with a high level of evidence, is also being investigated. Telerehabilitation, on the other hand, has become a method that is frequently used with the increase in the use of technological methods. The effectiveness of family-centered, goal-oriented physiotherapy approaches is known in previous studies on this subject; There are studies conducted on a remotely monitored portable intelligent system created for telerehabilitation, but no studies have been found in which telerehabilitation has been applied using the real-time video conferencing method.

Full description

Babies in whom negative biological and environmental factors cause neuromotor developmental problems are defined as "risk babies". Risky babies are classified differently. This classification; may be according to gestational age, birth weight, and pathophysiological problems. Especially, premature babies born at 32 weeks and under 1500 g, babies with periventricular leukomalacia, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, intraventricular hemorrhage, and intrauterine growth retardation are in the high-risk group.

The mortality rate in risky babies has decreased considerably in recent years, but with this decrease, neurodevelopmental disorders including motor problems, incoordination, cognitive impairment, attention problems, or developmental problems are seen in these babies who live prematurely, and the risk of Cerebral Palsy (CP) occurs. CP is the common name of a group of non-progressive permanent disorders that primarily lead to impairment in movement and posture development and activity limitation, and that can also be seen in addition to sensory and cognitive problems, due to permanent damage to the developing brain. The primary condition for early intervention is to identify babies who may have CP. Early detection may be beneficial for the initiation of early intervention in the period when neuroplasticity is high. Based on neuroplasticity knowledge, it is thought that it will be beneficial for risky babies during development, and it may be possible to prevent neurodevelopmental problems and permanent disabilities, with early intervention and protective approaches. In general, the early intervention approach includes supporting the development of babies who are at risk for developmental delay or disability by providing the necessary support, treatment, and training, starting from the neonatal period and up to 24 months. Early intervention methods have many components and require a multidisciplinary approach. Methods can focus on different approaches according to the determined goals. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation approaches are of great importance in supporting the development and improving functional outcomes in early intervention. It is aimed to provide normal sensory input and gain normal functional movements by using the rapid learning ability originating from brain plasticity, and to reach the most independent level that the child can reach in terms of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects within the anatomical and physiological deficiencies and environmental limitations. There are many early physiotherapy and rehabilitation approaches that focus on motor development and normalization.

Goal-oriented therapy; is known as an approach that facilitates the participation and adaptation of infants and children with motor developmental delay to daily life activities. Goal-oriented neuromotor therapy approach; It is a set of movements organized around a functional goal and the environment enables the movement to occur. Studies on rehabilitation have recently focused on treatment approaches that focus on functionality in accordance with the "Activity and Participation" area of ICF. It is known that babies also have levels of functionality that enable them to participate in activities of daily living. In a study in which goal-oriented neuromotor therapy was applied in early rehabilitation applications, it was stated that this approach could be applied by both the physiotherapist and the family under the control of the physiotherapist. Family-centered physiotherapy applications have come to the fore in recent years, it is the treatment approach that focuses on the environment and what the child can do and practiced by family. Motor reactions are activated by providing normal sensory input. Telerehabilitation is the delivery of rehabilitation services by computer-based technologies and communication tools by rehabilitation specialists. It is an emerging method that provides rehabilitation services by reducing time, distance, and cost barriers and using technological tools.

Although the importance of early physiotherapy approaches is known today, when the literature is examined, it is seen that the number of studies is insufficient and a consensus has not yet been reached on which therapy approach is more successful. No study has been found in which family education of risky infants was followed up with telerehabilitation before.

Enrollment

26 patients

Sex

All

Ages

1 day to 12 months old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Babies born before <37 weeks of gestation and treated in the neonatal intensive care unit
  • Infants with neurologic abnormalities (muscle hypertonia, hypotonia, hyperarousal, and abnormal general movements or cranial ultrasound abnormalities) at moderate to high risk of cerebral palsy
  • Babies referred to physiotherapy due to motor developmental delay and neurological dysfunction
  • Babies whose age range is between 0-12 months (corrected age will be calculated for premature babies)
  • Being diagnosed as a neurologically and developmentally risky baby
  • Babies who have completed their medical treatment and are not in neonatal intensive care
  • Babies of families who agreed to participate in the study and approved the informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

  • Babies with congenital cyanotic heart problems or cystic fibrosis
  • Babies with genetic disease or congenital anomaly
  • Infants on ventilator
  • Babies of families who do not accept to work
  • Babies of families who cannot come to the control
  • Families that cannot be contacted every week
  • Babies going to a special education and rehabilitation center

Trial design

Primary purpose

Supportive Care

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

26 participants in 2 patient groups

Telerehabilitation
Experimental group
Description:
Mothers attended monthly exercise sessions at the hospital and engaged in home exercises for 45 minutes, twice weekly. They communicated their progress via messaging. Moreover, a 45-minute physiotherapy session was held weekly through live video conferencing, during which the physiotherapist guided and observed the mother while she interacted with a simulated infant model.
Treatment:
Other: Telerehabilitation
Home-based
Other group
Description:
Mothers underwent monthly exercise sessions at the hospital and engaged in home exercises lasting 45 minutes, thrice weekly. They documented their exercise routines on a weekly chart and discussed them with the physiotherapist during their monthly hospital appointments.
Treatment:
Other: Home-based

Trial documents
1

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Ayca Evkaya Acar, MSc; Esra Pehlivan, Assoc. Prof.

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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