Feasibility of novel Head And Trunk Control Rehabilitation (HATCoRe) device on children with developmental delays

Children with developmental delays struggle with motor skills, making traditional physiotherapy challenging. Head And Trunk Control Rehabilitation (HATCoRe) device offers an interactive alternative. This study aims to enhance functionality and assess feasibility of the HATCoRe device based on feedback from experts, caregivers of children with atypical development (AD), and responses from children with typical development (TD). Five experts evaluated device's user-friendliness and suggested modifications. Five children (TD and AD) underwent exercises to test parameters like, head lift attempts, sustenance time, preferred auditory and visual stimuli, reaction time, enjoyment, and comfort. Caregivers of children with AD suggested feedback. Children with TD and AD underwent one and three sessions of cervical flexion and extension exercises, respectively. The device was fine-tuned based on the feedback. Audiovisual stimuli were tailored to meet participant's needs. Reaction time ranged between 1 and 125 s. The device achieved high adherence but showed variable recruitment rates due to logistical challenges. While TD group showed high retention rate, it was lower in AD group. Recommendations for shorter session durations were made to enhance acceptability of device. Despite a technical glitch in data management, the device remained safe without adverse events, supporting its potential for effective clinical use.Implications for rehabilitation This study implements a novel technology-based intervention for children with developmental delays exhibiting poor head and trunk control on a limited sample in a low-resource setting.Preliminary findings suggests that the HATCoRe device may provide an objective means of tracking progress and engaging caregivers in rehabilitation, however, confirmation through larger scale efficacy study is warranted.Further research is warranted to assess the cost-effectiveness and efficacy of the HATCoRe device in children with atypical development using controlled study designs.