What is the typical treatment time that you see infants in the NICU, and do you see the patients twice a day?
Answer
Typically we treat the infants for about half an hour. We like see them before feedings so that the baby is awake and ready to feed when the nurse comes in after our treatment. The highest frequency that we use is once a day. We must remember that even though we are doing something good, and we are helping them develop, we have to consider their need to reserve and conserve energy. We do not want to wake them up unnecessarily or work with them too much. We need to make sure that they have the energy to grow. Studies have shown that once a day or even three times a week in the ones that are older is sufficient to obtain the benefits of therapy. What you want to do is translate what you are doing over into your education of the parents and the nurses. They will not necessarily do a skilled treatment, but they may incorporate many of those elements that you teach them into their interactions with the child. So if you think about it, if you do it right, they are going to be getting treatment all throughout their stay from everyone who is handling them.
Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez, PT, DPT, PhD, CNT
Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez graduated from the University of Oviedo (Spain) with a diploma in physical therapy and
practiced in a variety of settings as a physical therapist in Spain before moving to the US and obtaining her M.S. in Physical Therapy, a post-professional Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. She has practiced at the South Miami Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 2003-present. In 2011 she joined Nova Southeastern University, where she is currently an Associate Professor and teaches Pediatrics, Kinesiology, Prosthetics and Orthotics, and Gender Issues. She continues to practice in the NICU on a per diem basis and she is a Certified Neonatal Therapist. Her research interests encompass pediatrics, biomechanics, use of technology in education, and nanotechnology applications in cancer.
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