Early therapeutic intervention for kids with development delay is the key to a more independent and healthy future.  In addition to the therapeutic intervention for children with delayed graphomotor development, ADELI Medical Center has been advocating for education the public for years in order to recognize the warning signs of developmental delays in babies as early as possible, from the twenty-eighth day of their life.

A lifelong quarantine: this is how some parents describe with a pinch of bitterness and humor the caring for a child with cerebral palsy. By using the word quarantine, they want to bring other healthy people closer to the grade to which the family adapts to the needs of the family member who needs urgent care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The joy and prosperity of people with physical or mental disabilities is directly proportional to the will and time given to them by those around them. This is why society needs to talk openly about the need for help, but also about solutions that can develop the independence of the youngest with endangered or risk development.

In this article, we would like to introduce you the three little sisters, the some of the youngest patients whose parents sought out the ADELI Medical Center. We will talk about premature babies, cerebral palsy and therapeutic interventions at the BabyMed department. With intensive, individually tailored therapies, more permanent damage to a child’s life can be prevented in the future.

The triplets who grow up with regular stays at the ADELI Medical Center    

The triplets Amálka, Viktorka and Žofinka rushed into this world unexpectedly and prematurely in the 5th month of pregnancy. Their coming have looked forward by two wonderful parents, for whom an unprecedented merry-go-round began: the babies were in the care of various neonatology centers all over the Eastern Bohemia region; their mother travelled to three different clinics to feed her babies with her own suctioned breast milk. From a birth weight of between 480 g and 630 g, the little girls gradually grew stronger and underwent various and numerous surgical interventions. The journey between hospitals in Zlín, Brno, Ostrava and their dwelling-place at Kunovice became a route of hope that the little girls will do it and the family will soon be together. Almost nine months after the birth of the girls, the Hračko family began their life together under one roof.

Amálka, Viktorka and Žofka are kids with delayed development. This means that the maturing of their central nervous system takes longer, and at the same time this maturing has to be replenished several times by external stimuli (multiple times more than in children with a standard development tempo).

This effort requires a huge amount of therapies by different specialists. The brain, as the controlling organ of the central nervous system, has the greatest capacity to learn during the first two years of a person’s life. However, the neuroplasticity of the brain needs to be “provoked” naturally on a daily basis, even between rehabilitation stays. Though, our three little girls are on the right way and although there are slight differences between them, they are making progress. The biggest challenge for parents is to give their children as many stimuli as possible to make progress. The little sisters with weaker eyesight and hearing are helped with technical aids. At present a special caution is also needed for respiratory infections: The little girls have less developed lungs. The parents also give support to the movement development: crawling, quadrupedal walking, upright standing and walking are trained regularly by means of regular stays at the BabyMed department at the ADELI Medical Centre in Piešt’any. Under the guidance of the chief pediatric neurologist the physiotherapists have set individual goals for each child. They work on these goals during the ten-day stay. In practice, this means that the girls rehabilitate as much as their strength is enough and only as much as they can currently handle.

The children attend regularly the following therapies:

  • Reflexology massage aimed at “waking up” the child and preparing the child for a day filled with therapies.
  • Neurophysiological exercise – twice a day, 60 minutes before lunch and 30 minutes after lunch.
  • Therapeutic massage – stimulating massage before noon and relaxing massage afternoon.
  • Laser therapy, magnetic therapy or polarized light therapy.
  • Oxygen therapy.
  • Speech therapy.
  • Hydrotherapy.

A friendly, safe environment is a prerequisite for the cooperation of children who, in addition to motor development, have also delayed development of communication skills. A lack of these skills is manifested by attention deficit disorders and learning disabilities. Exercises at the BabyMed department also stimulate communication and social skills. It is the best preparation for the speech development. The little girls love exercises also because they have a nice relationship with their therapists. The physiotherapists at ADELI MC know how to motivate kids, stimulate their interest, curiosity and develop the joy of movement.

A child with cerebral palsy is a unique child, but each one has its own will, feelings, relationships with closed ones and other people around it. Amálka, Viktorka and Žofia: each likes her own color; each has her own personality traits. “If they were at least the same and had the same needs, it would be a little easier for me,” says Hanka. For many parents having a child with cerebral palsy, this child represents a lifetime work and therefore a parental investment that deserves the respect and esteem of the whole society. Living with a child with developmental delays requires a huge amount of energy. It is accompanied by doubts, trials and decisions with enormous responsibility. An early therapy start, intense effort, regularity and a comprehensive approach to child development are the keys to the maximum possible outcome in the future.

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