How can a pediatric physical therapist help my baby?
How can a pediatric physical therapist help my baby?
You may be wondering why a baby might need to see a physical therapist. Have you ever noticed that your baby only turns one way or has trouble tolerating various positions. Have you brought these concerns up to your pediatrician and they were dismissed or you were told to wait and see? This is where a pediatric physical therapy evaluation would be helpful. The wait and see approach is very common but is not helpful.
I have been a pediatric therapist for 20 years, with most of my experience working extensively with families with children under 3 years old. I have never met a family that has regretted working with a therapist early on. A skilled pediatric physical therapist will assess the whole body when a difficulty is presented. They are experts on how the body moves. When working with a baby, a physical therapist is looking at a variety of things such as primitive reflexes, range of motion, movement patterns, tolerance to positions, acquisition of age-appropriate motor skills, etc. If a baby is choosing to only roll to one side, we want to know the why or if they are hitch crawling with one leg up, we want to know the why. During your baby’s first year of life their brain undergoes significant growth, particularly in the areas governing physical development. Early identification and treatment of various difficulties is key for optimal outcomes. Their little brains are primed for learning early and it is important to take advantage of that. With early treatment comes less frustration for parents and for their baby along with better outcomes in the end.
Tell me more…
For example, let’s say you notice that your 2-month-old baby is only turning their head to the right and now has a flat spot on the back of their head. At their check up you bring your concerns to the doctor and they tell you to wait and just do more tummy time with them. That is actually false information because doing more tummy time will not help with the flat spot that has already developed.
You know what will help? A skilled and experienced pediatric physical therapy evaluation during which the therapist will look at the whole body and not just the head/neck area and they will make appropriate recommendations. Another example, is if your baby is having feeding difficulty and spitting up constantly. A pediatric physical therapist with experience in infant feeding will observe what the whole body is doing during a feed and go from there. These are not challenges that you have to just deal with and ignore. The earlier treatment begins for several time sensitive diagnoses like oral motor dysfunction, torticollis and plagiocephaly (flat head) the better the outcome will be. Pediatric physical therapists are equipped to help families navigate challenges that come with torticollis, plagiocephaly, motor delays. Some pediatric physical therapists are also trained to help with feeding challenges and oral motor dysfunction.
How do I start?
In Massachusetts, you do not need a doctor’s prescription to access physical therapy services. It is a “direct access” state. What does this mean for you? If you are noticing any challenges with your baby such as only turning to one side, difficulty with motor skills, not tolerating tummy time, colic symptoms, feeding challenges, etc. you can do some research on therapists in the area and reach out directly to them for an evaluation. You do not need to wait and see and suffer through those challenges alone. I have been a pediatric physical therapist for 20 years. I have my own practice called Ahoy Baby Physical Therapy and Wellness, based in Topsfield, MA. I primarily treat infants and toddlers and have extensive experience treating babies with oral motor dysfunction, torticollis, plagiocephaly and delayed motor skills.
On Thursday June 13 from 2:30-4:30 pm I am holding FREE infant screenings at my clinic in Topsfield, MA. If you have any concerns about your baby ranging from their head shape to how they are moving reserve a 15-minute time slot to come and see me and we can discuss the challenges and ways to help. I have also created a motor guide to help parents navigate motor milestones in their infant’s first year. It is a comprehensive guide with over 35 age-appropriate motor activities with step-by-step instructions and guidance on how to facilitate movements. On each page there are detailed written instructions along with a QR code linking to instructional videos. I understand that every parent plays a pivotal role in their baby’s development and I hope to equip them with practical, hands- on strategies to incorporate into daily routines.
Please email reach out for more information!
Email info@ahoybaby.com or meagan@ahoybaby.com
