How Motor Interventions Help Infants with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

This systemic review looks at current evidence on how well motor-based therapies work for infants aged 0-2 years who are diagnosed with or at high risk for cerebral palsy. It highlights strengths and weaknesses in the research to help improve clinical care and guide future studies.

Methods

A thorough search was conducted across major databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, and PEDro. The studies chosen focused on infants up to 2 years old who either had or were at high risk for cerebral palsy. These infants received early movement-based interventions. The researchers assessed the quality of evidence, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for a more detailed evaluation.

Results

Out of the studies reviewed, 34 studies were included, and 10 were high-quality RCTs. These studies explored a variety of therapeutic methods, criteria for selecting participants, and ways to measure outcomes. Neurodevelopmental therapy was the most commonly studied treatment and was often compared to other approaches.

Two interventions had moderate to large positive effects on motor outcomes.

• Self-initiated movement therapies: Approaches that encourage babies to move on their own.
• Task-Specific learning: Interventions that are designed to enhance motor skills through focused, goal-oriented tasks.

These strategies were reinforced by making changes to the environment and training parents on how to optimize motor outcomes. 

Conclusions

The evidence for early motor interventions in infants with cerebral palsy is promising, but there aren’t enough high-quality studies. Therapies that emphasize infant-led movement, task-specific practice, parent training, and environmental changes show potential to significantly improve motor development. Future research should use robust methods and consistent outcome measures to build better support for clinical use.

Reference:

Morgan C, Darrah J, Gordon AM, Harbourne R, Spittle A, Johnson R, Fetters L. Effectiveness of motor interventions in infants with cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2016 Sep;58(9):900-9. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13105. Epub 2016 Mar 29. PMID: 27027732.