Pediatric Rehabilitation

What is Pediatric Rehabilitation?

The pediatric rehabilitation program provides comprehensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation care for children. The goal is to minimize the impact of obstacles while maximizing each child's abilities. This is achieved through effective rehabilitation of the highest quality provided in a family-centered environment.

Depending on the nature of the impairment and the needs of the child, treatment takes place in a variety of settings and uses the diverse skills of rehabilitation professionals to promote the highest possible level of function. The pediatric rehabilitation team aims to help each individual achieve full functional independence in self-care, mobility, communication, cognition, and socialization. It is applied to treat disorders such as vision, hearing, swallowing, speech in children. In addition, it is also applied in the treatment of genetic disorders and muscle diseases.

In Which Cases Is Pediatric Rehabilitation Applied?

In cases such as congenital muscle coordination disorder or subsequent disorders, skeletal and muscular system balance deterioration in children, pediatric rehabilitation is applied to help treat the disorders.

With pediatric rehabilitation, problems with crawling, walking, hand grip in children can be treated. In addition, pediatric rehabilitation therapy is applied in the treatment of diseases such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Pediatric rehabilitation provides very successful results in spinal cord injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, blows or traumas to the head, walking and crawling disorders.

What are the Techniques Used in Pediatric Rehabilitation?

Various treatment techniques are used in pediatric rehabilitation:

• The most effective treatment technique used in pediatric rehabilitation is rehabilitation exercises. With rehabilitation exercises, it is aimed to give children muscle strength. Pediatric rehabilitation practices are also used for the proper functioning of the skeletal and bone system.
• The standing table is among the tools used in pediatric rehabilitation applications. The child is standing with support from the standing table; strengthening of the skeletal and muscular system can be achieved.

It is very important to start treatment early in order to get more effective results with pediatric rehabilitation. At this point, parents have an important duty. It is very important to follow their children's development closely and go to the doctor, taking into account the problems they face. The symptoms that should be considered in the development process of children are as follows:

Things to consider in a 1-month-old baby:

• All kinds of breast sucking problems
• Not reacting at all to warnings from the environment
• Constant and uninterrupted crying bouts
• Very frequent and severe vomiting
• Wire transfer

Things to consider in a 2-month-old baby:

• All kinds of breast sucking problems
• Not reacting at all to warnings from the environment
• Constant and uninterrupted crying bouts
• Very frequent and severe vomiting
• Wire transfer
• Loss of reflexes
• Looseness or excessive stiffness in the muscles

Things to consider in a 3-month-old baby:

• Shifting and cruising in the eyes
• Contractions and discomfort when lying on the back
• Not to start laughing
• Not knowing the mother
• Not looking at the speaker's face

Things to consider in a 4-month-old baby:

• Still unable to control his head
• Inability of the eye to focus on a certain point
• Constant punching of the hands instead of being freed
• Some reflexes should disappear by the age of 4 months. These reflexes do not disappear,

Things to consider in an 8-month-old baby:

• Cannot return and move on their own
• If hand coordination skills are not developed
• Attempting to kick with both legs
• When sitting, the body is piled up on the legs

Things to consider in a 10-month-old baby:

• Baby still can't crawl
• Inability to stand up
• Not reacting to his name
• Inability to coordinate such as controlling his saliva

Things to consider in a 1-year-old baby:

• Not starting to walk even by holding on
• Inability to walk by stepping on a fingertip

Other Conditions That Can Be Treated with Pediatric Rehabilitation

• Spina Bifida (Spinal separation or patency)
• Cerebral Palsy
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Congenital Anomalies
• Orthopedic Disorders
• Stress Injuries
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Swallowing Problems
• Nutritional Problems
• Daily Life Rehabilitation Activities
• Juvenile Arthritis (Joint inflammation)
• Rehabilitation After Fracture
• Preoperative Rehabilitation
• Humpback
• Osgood-Schlatter Disease (Childhood Knee Pain)
• Wheelchair Use
• Assistive Device Usage
• Hand and Arm Injuries
• Foot and Leg Injuries

Pediatric rehabilitation techniques are:

• Activities of Daily Life Training
• Joint Treatment
• Developer Contact
• Basic Sign Language
• Nutrition Therapy
• Gait Analysis / Training
• Handwriting
• Neurodevelopmental Therapy
• Mouth-Motor Interventions
• Orthosis / Prosthesis Training
• Pragmatic / Social Skills Training
• Sensory Integration
• Wheelchair Seating and Equipment Evaluation