Fysioterapeuten (Feb 2022)
Physiotherapy for the youngest children – a survey among physiotherapist in Bergen
Abstract
Background: Mapping physiotherapy practice in Bergen municipality for infants 0-12 months. Which infants are referred, when, why and by whom, what kind of follow-up and treatment was planned. We also wanted to investigate the incidence of infant asymmetry and whether there were associations between asymmetries and other factors. Design: Cross-sectional study. Material: All parents having children between 0-12 months and referred to the municipal physiotherapy service in Bergen during 4 months in 2018 were asked to participate with their child Method: The physiotherapists (24) filled out a questionnaire with the following topics concerning the child: Anamnesis / Birth / Regulatory difficulties, Clinical examination of the child and any further referral and treatment. Descriptive statistics, correlation and logistic regression models were used. Results: We included 175 children, mean age at examination was 18 weeks. A total of 162 children were referred from the public health center. The most common reason for the referrals were infant asymmetry (61%). However, in 76/175 (45%) no asymmetry were found. We found an association between head asymmetry and favorite side and gender in multivariable analyzes. The most common follow-up from the physiotherapists included advice and guidance to parents as well as treatment to achieve normal range of motion and movement development. Conclusion: Most of the referrals were due to infant asymmetry. Registered treatment/follow-up consisted mainly of guidance for parents, and physiotherapy with the intention of achieving normal range of motion and a symmetrical range of motion.
