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Physical and Occupational Therapy Utilization After Infant Abdominal Surgery

Sindhu V Mannava1, Eamaan Turk2, Attie Vogler3

  • 1Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics
|September 29, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Neonates undergoing major abdominal surgery face significant delays in receiving physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Addressing these barriers is crucial for improving postoperative mobilization and recovery pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric surgery
  • Rehabilitation medicine

Background:

  • Postoperative mobilization is vital for enhanced recovery in neonates.
  • Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) are key components of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care.
  • Barriers to therapy access may disproportionately affect neonates with surgical needs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the utilization of PT and OT in NICU patients.
  • To compare therapy access and outcomes between operative and nonoperative neonates.
  • To identify barriers to therapy for neonates with major abdominal surgery.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 210 neonates (January 2020 - December 2021).
  • Comparison of therapy type, timing, and clinical outcomes between operative and nonoperative groups.
  • Assessment of factors influencing therapy initiation and adherence.

Main Results:

  • Operative neonates had lower gestational age and birthweight.
  • Operative neonates experienced significantly longer delays to first PT/OT sessions (25 days for PT, 22 days for OT).
  • Missed therapy sessions were more frequent in operative neonates due to procedures and imaging, despite similar session numbers adjusted for length of stay.

Conclusions:

  • Significant barriers impede timely mobilization for operative neonates, particularly in early postoperative weeks.
  • Mitigation strategies are needed to improve therapy access for surgical neonates.
  • Further research, including prospective studies, is required to evaluate the benefits of earlier postoperative therapy.
Abstract

Keywords:
Abdominalinfantoccupational therapyphysical therapypostoperativerecoverysurgery

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