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Developmental Program for Neonates Questioned

To the Editor:

I am writing to comment on the article "Effects of a Developmental Physical Therapy Program on Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate in Preterm Infants" from the June 1989 issue of Physical Therapy. Although the study seems very well done and the article is well written, I feel that the authors are skirting a more basic issue, which is, should we be doing this sort of physical therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at all? I think not, for the following reasons:

1. The treatment is of uncertain efficacy. We lack evidence on how developmental programs done in the NICU affect long-term motor outcomes. The authors mention "the benefits and risks...in terms of developmental gains. ..." What developmental gains? Are there demonstrable improvements at, say, age 1 or 2 years, or do untreated infants catch up to them?

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Related Article

Effects of a Developmental Physical Therapy Program on Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate in Preterm Infants

M Kathleen Kelly, Robert J Palisano, and Marla R Wolfson
Physical Therapy 1989 69: 467-474. [Abstract] [PDF]