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Effects of motor physical therapy on bone mineralization in premature infants: a randomized controlled study
C M Vignochi1, E Miura, L H Canani
1Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Graduate Studies in Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. carinemv@yahoo.com.br
Insights
Physical therapy significantly improved growth, weight gain, and bone mineralization in preterm infants. This intervention led to greater gains in bone mineral content, bone mineral density, bone area, and lean mass compared to controls.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Bone health in infants
Background:
- Preterm infants often experience suboptimal growth and development.
- Bone mineralization can be a concern in premature infants due to various factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of physical therapy on bone mineralization, weight gain, and overall growth in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Preterm infants were randomly assigned to a physiotherapy group (PG) or a control group (CG).
- The PG received daily motor physical therapy sessions until hospital discharge.
- Bone mineralization was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the study's start and end.
Main Results:
- The physiotherapy group exhibited significantly higher daily weight gain and length increase compared to the control group.
- DEXA measurements revealed greater gains in bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), bone area (BA), and lean mass (LM) in the PG.
- Fat mass did not differ significantly between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Motor physical therapy is effective in promoting enhanced growth and weight gain in preterm infants.
- Physiotherapy positively influences bone mineralization and lean mass development in this vulnerable population.
Objective:
To study the effect of physical therapy on bone mineralization, weight gain and growth in preterm infants.
Method:
After fulfilling the inclusion criteria, preterm infants were matched for gestational age and birth weight and then randomly assigned to the physiotherapy group (PG, n=15) and control group (CG, n=14). The PG received motor physical therapy for 15 min daily, 5 times per week until hospital discharge. Bone mineralization was measured by total body dual energy X-ray beam absorptiometry (DEXA) at the onset and end of the study. Statistical analysis was realized by ANCOVA and linear correlation tests.
Result:
The physical therapy group (PG) presented greater body weight gain per day (27.4+/-2.4 vs 21.01+/-4.4 g, P<0.001) and length (1.3+/-0.3 vs 0.8+/-0.2 cm week(-1), P<0.001) than did the control group (CG). Body composition values verified by DEXA were greater for the PG. The mean gain in bone mineral content (BMC) (mg) was greater in the PG (434+/-247.5 vs -8.9+/-11.4, P<0.001), as was the mean bone mineral density (BMD) gain (mg cm(-2)) (8.4+/-5.6 vs -3.1+/-5.5, P<0.001). The gain in bone area (BA,cm(2)) was 10.3+/-5 in the PG vs 1.5 +/-2 in the CG (P<0.001). The gain in lean mass (LM) (g) in the PG was also greater than in the CG (271.1+/-21.4 vs 109.1+/-1.0, P<0.009). The fat mass (g) was similar between the groups (P=0.432).
Conclusion:
These results showed that physiotherapy in preterm infants produced greater gains in growth, body weight, BMC, BMD, BA and LM.
