Abstract Objective: To verify the relationship between sleep characteristics and motor development in low-birth-weight preterm infants during infancy and preschool years. Method: Forty-one healthy preterm infants (<37 weeks’ gestation) with low birth weight (≤1500 g) were assessed longitudinally at three different time points: at 6 months of corrected age, at 12 months of corrected age, and at 4-5 years of chronological age. At 6 and 12 months, motor development was assessed using the Denver Developmental Screening Test II and Alberta Infant Motor Scale, while sleep-related habits and disturbances were assessed using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. At 4-5 years, motor development was reassessed using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory and sleep was reassessed using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Correlations were performed using sleep quality as the predictor variable and motor development as the outcome variable. Results: Most infants had suspected delay/atypical development at 6 and 12 months, with no difference between the scales (p = 1.000). Suspected delay/atypical development were associated with lateral sleep position (p = 0.004), greater number of nighttime awakenings (p = 0.008), and longer awake periods (p = 0.014) only at 6 months. At 4-5 years, the suspected delay/atypical development observed at 6 and 12 months disappeared. Conclusions: Sleep quality correlated with delayed/atypical motor development in healthy preterm infants with low birth weight only at 6 months of corrected age, which did not appear to affect later development of motor skills.

Objetivo descrever a capacidade funcional de crianças com paralisia cerebral que realizavam atendimentos de Fisioterapia e Fisioterapia e Fonoaudiologia. Métodos estudo descritivo, de caráter transversal, composto por 14 crianças com PC do tipo quadriplegia espástica (6 realizavam Fisioterapia e 8 Fisioterapia e Fonoaudiologia). Foram utilizados para avaliação o Inventário de Avaliação Pediátrica de Incapacidade (PEDI) e o Sistema de Classificação da Função Motora Grossa (GMFCS). As associações entre as variáveis categóricas foram analisadas por meio do teste exato de Fisher. Comparações entre médias foram realizadas utilizando-se o teste t de Student. Resultados não se obteve melhora estatisticamente significante nas áreas de autocuidado, mobilidade e função social entre os dois grupos nos domínios de habilidade funcional e assistência ao cuidador. Conclusão as crianças do grupo Fisioterapia tiveram escores funcionais mais elevados que as do grupo Fisioterapia associado à Fonoaudiologia, mas não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos. Isso se deu, provavelmente, devido ao reduzido número de participantes, à diversidade de quadros clínicos que a patologia pode apresentar e a possíveis diferenças na intervenção fisioterapêutica realizada nos dois estados, que possuem situações socioeconômicas bem diversas.

Purpose to describe the functional capacity of children with cerebral palsy who performed the care of Physical Therapy Specialty and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Methods a cross sectional observational study, comprising 14 children with spastic quadriplegic (6 performed Physiotherapy and 8 performed Physiotherapy and Speech therapy). The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and the Manual Abilities Classification System (GMFCS) were used to evaluate them. The associations between categorical variables were analyzed using Fisher exact test. Comparisons between means were performed using the Student t test. Results we didn’t obtain statistically significant improvement in the areas of self-care, mobility and social function between the two groups in the fields of functional skills and caregiver assistance. Conclusion the Physiotherapy group of children had higher functional scores than those in the Physiotherapy group associated with Speech Therapy, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. This was probably due to the small number of participants, the diversity of clinical presentation and possible differences of Physical Therapy intervention conducted in two states with very different socioeconomic situations.

INTRODUÇÃO: Paralisia cerebral é um distúrbio caracterizado por alterações no desenvolvimento da atividade, do movimento e da postura. O Conceito Neuroevolutivo Bobath é um método utilizado na reabilitação neuropediátrica, fundamentando-se na facilitação da aquisição de habilidades sensório-motoras de acordo com a sequência de desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor normal. OBJETIVO: Verificar atividade eletromiográfica de músculos envolvidos no controle cervical nos planos frontal, sagital e transverso, mediante manuseio em pontos-chave de controle, objetivando transferência de peso e estabilização corporal. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma avaliação quantitativa em um estudo de caso, no qual uma paciente de sete anos de idade, com diagnóstico clínico de paralisia cerebral e síndrome de West, foi submetida à análise eletromiográfica da musculatura envolvida no controle cervical, mediante manuseio em pontos-chave de controle. O registo ocorreu durante o manuseio utilizando postura de decúbito ventral sobre cunha e postura de decúbito lateral sobre o solo. RESULTADOS: O sinal eletromiográfico dos extensores e flexores na região cervical intensificou-se mediante manuseio para transferência de peso em ponto-chave de quadril em ambas as posturas. Embora o sinal de base tenha sido ampliado durante a transferência de peso para o quadril, o registro eletromiográfico nos segmentos musculares avaliados foi superior no decúbito lateral. CONCLUSÕES: Verificou-se que a transferência de peso para o quadril induziu facilitação do controle cervical e que o decúbito lateral de forma repetida e sustentada, mediante correto manuseio, alinhamento e transferência de peso, facilitou de forma mais pronunciada a atividade muscular na região cervical e de tronco superior do que o manuseio em decúbito ventral sobre a cunha.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy is a disorder characterized by an abnormal activity, movement and posture development. The Bobath concept is one of the most used methods for the neuropediatric rehabilitation and is based on the acquisition of sensorimotor skills according to the normal sequence of the psychomotor development. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explore the relationship between electromyographic signal (EMG) in muscles involved in the cervical control in the frontal, sagittal and transversal planes and facilitation techniques using key points of control, which is part of the Bobath approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The methodology was quantitative applied in a case study of one child, seven years old, with Cerebral palsy and West syndrome diagnosis. The surface EMG activity of muscle groups involved in the cervical control (extensors, flexors and lateral flexors) was collected under therapeutic handling using key points of control in ventral decubitus on the wedge and in lateral decubitus along 5 seconds. RESULTS: The EMG signal from extensors and flexors muscles was augmented under therapeutic handling for weight bearing using the hip joint as key point of control in both decubitus. Although the EMG basal signal in the ventral position had been intensified during the weight bearing, the EMG activity was higher when the handling was performed using the lateral position. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the therapeutic handling for weigh bearing using the hip joint as key point of control induced the facilitation of cervical control. The use of the lateral position as well as the repetition of this position in a maintained way, since the correct alignment position is observed, should be able to induce higher facilitation of cervical control than weigh bearing in ventral position on the wedge.