Little Luci - on the go as a happy, healthy ONE year old!
Luciana Rodriguez, Lancaster
A baby's development can be as individual as their smile and personality. Some babies learn to crawl and walk well before their first birthday. Others take their time and develop at their own pace.
For little Luciana, who was born four weeks early, her parents began noticing some concerns when she was just a few months old. They noticed she would only roll in one direction and wasn't developing as they were expecting. Following her initial consultation, the pediatric Rehab team at Grant Regional agreed that "Luci's" growth and development would benefit from a little support and early intervention.
Not all preemies will experience development delays, but it is possible since premature babies have had less time to grow and develop than those who are born full-term.
"We believe early intervention is best and tends to show better results and outcomes than the "wait and see" approach," explains Natalie Ludolph, PT, DPT. "With Luci, we've seen such a great response in her abilities and development in the relatively short time that we've been working with her.”
If not addressed, a lack of gross motor skills, including coordination, balance, and strength, can lead to issues with interacting with the environment, as well as delays in meeting developmental milestones for activities such as sitting, crawling, and walking. Meeting these milestones allows children to interact with their environment independently so they can continue to grow in all domains, including social-emotion, cognitive, and language.
"It's been so fun to see her improve each week as we focused on play-oriented exercises to build strength and flexibility," shared Ashley Hahn, PTA. “She is now crawling, pulling herself up to stand, and is on track to achieving her age-adjusted milestones in time for her first birthday on June 22.”
Physical therapy for preemies or pediatrics in general is important for developing muscle, as well as:
- Encouraging movement
- Improving strength
- Reducing and preventing joint and muscle issues
- Using toys to encourage movement
- Increasing activity
All these activities help to promote a child’s movement to allow for their muscles to be strengthened and make it more likely for them to be able to walk and reach other developmental milestones.
In the United States, 1 in 6 children ages 3 to 17 (17.3%) have some form of developmental delay or disability. Early identification allows for more effective treatment during the preschool years. Early treatment can lessen the need for expensive special education services later. Physical therapists assess and treat developmental delays in children of all ages. Physical therapists are movement experts. They improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement.
If you notice any concerns about your child’s development, reach out to your primary care provider or Grant Regional’s Rehab team to talk about how physical therapy can help get them off to a good start for a happy, healthy, and active lifestyle.
To learn more about Grant Regional’s Rehab services, call (608) 723-3236 or visit the Rehab page on our website.
