Feasibility Trial of Thumb Taping by Parents in Infants with Cerebral Palsy: Brief Report

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Orthopedic Interventions

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) often involves motor impairments affecting hand and wrist function in infants.
• Developing effective, parent-administered interventions is crucial for early management.
• Elastic taping is a potential therapeutic modality for improving hand function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of parent-delivered elastic taping for the thumb and wrist in infants with CP.
• To evaluate parent satisfaction and adherence to the taping protocol.
• To explore potential effects on hand function and specific motor patterns.

Main Methods:

• A randomized cross-over feasibility trial involving 20 infants with CP.
• Participants received elastic taping for either 4 or 2 weeks in a cross-over design.
• Outcomes included recruitment/retention rates, parent satisfaction, adherence, and standardized hand assessments (e.g., Assisting Hand Assessment).

Main Results:

• Recruitment was highly feasible (95.2% uptake) with good retention rates (80% and 60%).
• Parent feedback indicated positive satisfaction and increased awareness of the taped hand.
• Objective improvements in hand function were infrequent, but one participant demonstrated consistent gains in thumb positioning.

Conclusions:

• Parent-delivered elastic taping is a feasible and acceptable intervention for infants with CP.
• The positive feedback and observed individual benefits warrant further investigation into its efficacy.
• Larger studies are needed to confirm the therapeutic potential of this intervention.