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Short- and long-term neurological outcomes following neonatal chest physiotherapy

P J Beeby1, D J Henderson-Smart, J L Lacey

  • 1Department of Neonatal Medicine, King George V Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|May 6, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Chest physiotherapy for extremely premature infants showed no association with abnormal neurological outcomes like cerebral palsy. This study found no evidence linking this intervention to adverse neurological development in preterm babies.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Respiratory therapy

Background:

  • Extremely premature infants face significant risks for abnormal neurological outcomes.
  • Chest physiotherapy is a common intervention for respiratory support in neonates.
  • The neurological effects of chest physiotherapy in this vulnerable population require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if chest physiotherapy is associated with adverse neurological outcomes in extremely premature infants.
  • To investigate the relationship between chest physiotherapy and brain lesions, cerebral palsy, and developmental quotient.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 213 infants born between 24-29 weeks gestation was studied.
  • Chest physiotherapy was administered for airway obstruction or lung consolidation.
  • Neurological outcomes including cystic brain lesions, cerebral palsy (CP), and developmental quotient (DQ) were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Infants receiving physiotherapy had lower birthweights and gestational ages.
  • No significant difference in the incidence of periventricular leucomalacia or porencephalic cysts was observed between groups.
  • Adjusted analyses revealed no significant association between chest physiotherapy treatments and abnormal neurological outcomes (CP, DQ).

Conclusions:

  • Chest physiotherapy, as implemented in this unit, was not associated with abnormal neurological outcomes in extremely preterm infants.
  • The findings suggest that chest physiotherapy can be safely used in extremely preterm infants without increasing the risk of adverse neurological development.
Abstract

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