General Movements in preterm infants undergoing craniosacral therapy: a randomised controlled pilot-trial

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Osteopathic manipulative treatment
• Neurodevelopmental assessment

Background:

• Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) utilizing soft kinaesthetic stimulation.
• Investigating the neurological short-term effects of CST in preterm infants is crucial for understanding its potential benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the neurological short-term effects of craniosacral therapy in preterm infants.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of CST as an intervention for preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• 30 preterm infants (25-33 weeks gestational age) were randomized into CST intervention or standard care groups.
• General Movement Assessment (GMA) and General Movement Optimality Score (GMOS) were used to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 and 24 months corrected age.
• A linear mixed model analyzed GMOS, with session, time point, and intervention as fixed effects.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in the global GMA (primary outcome) between the CST and control groups.
• The GMOS (secondary outcome) did not change significantly over sessions or between groups.
• A trend towards higher GMOS values before and after the first session was noted in the control group compared to the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• Craniosacral therapy did not result in significant changes in General Movements for preterm infants compared to standard care.
• The study indicates that craniosacral therapy is a safe intervention for preterm infants, as evidenced by the lack of deterioration in neurodevelopmental outcomes.
• Further research may explore long-term effects and specific applications of CST in neonatal care.