RE: Physiotherapy and premmy babies
INA MORGAN (nhorizon@iafrica.com)
Mon, 1 Apr 1996 19:30:53 +-200
Jill, thanks for your reply. Devin definately does the arching and the =
banging when he is not getting his own way. He is especially bad after =
spending time in hospital - could it be his way of venting anger.
He is very self-reliant and if we try help him with something, he will =
lie and bang his head until we let him do whatever he wants to do for =
himself. We first noticed this when he was just about 18 months old, we =
were feeding him, when suddenly he started screaming and then he climbed =
off the chair and started banging his head, as soon as we gave him the =
spoon, he was happy and from that day on, no-one is allowed to help him =
eat.
Little ones are so quirky, from when I posted the last message on =
Friday, his behaviour pattern has changed dramatically, suddenly, he is =
kissing and cuddling - would never do that before. I am definately not =
complaining.
----------
From: Jill Chester-Haney[SMTP:jillch@primenet.com]
Sent: 01 April 1996 04:57
To: preemie-l@vicnet.net.au
Subject: RE: Physiotherapy and premmy babies
Sally and Ina,
Many of the babies who come out of NICU with no apparant ongoing medical
problems do have sensory integration difficulties that I've been seeing
written about lately. The headbanging is one way to receive =
stimulation.
Aversion to sand or other textures, from food to touch is another. My =
own
son won't do "sticky" or "gooey" and shrieks when a sticker or bandage =
or
tape touches his skin. I've seen other kids spin in circles to get
vestibular stimulation.
Anyone online have experience with sensory integration?
I know the OT at Kevin's therapy unit provides it, and some of the
preemies may qualify if they are also receiving OT/PT services. The =
early
intervention people (ie: school) may also have suggestions for helping =
kids
integrated these senses. My OT didn't want to treat full-term Andrew, =
who
hates sticky, and is a rough and tumble kid who needs deep pressure to
organize his sensory system. (I have only a vague notion of what that
means, but I've heard her say it about him time and again.) The very
tiniest preemies are seen in SI therapy. If your children were the =
tiniest
guys in the unit and have some of these self-stim behaviors, I would =
seek
help before age three. (Especially if the behavior is getting to be
self-injurious.)
The arching? It may be the same type of response, Ina. First have =
your
ruled out seizure? Does Devin have a neurologist? Has there been an =
EEG
lately? Arching is a primal neuro kind of response (unless it has just
become a behavior that comforts Devin when he feels disorganized.)
I'm surfing for net sites today, I'll post what I find.
Regards,
Jill
>I forgot to mention that Ben is still a "headbanger" (and we DON'T
>play heavy metal music!!) at just over 2. The "baby books" suggest
>you wait til 3 to decide whether it's a problem or not. He doesn't
>bang while awake, but in his cot, taking himself to sleep. He gets up
>on his haunches (face down) and rocks back and forth, often hitting
>his head on the end of the cot. This may happen a couple of times a
>night, at the approx. 4 hrly intervals when he comes out of Rapid eye
>movement phase of sleep and have to get back into deep sleep, when
>wakefulness often occurs.
>
>Does anone else have this experience?
>> per tantrums and yes he is arching his back. This is proving to be =
so
>>embarrasing, yesterday, I was carrying him through a shopping centre =
and
>>he was doing just that arching backwards and screami
>g
>> as if I was murdering him. Everyone stopped and stared at me. He
>>definately cannot handle situations that are out of his control and
>>resorts to smacking, kicking and worst of all banging his hea
jillch@primenet.com
Mom to Kevin, age 4, (35 weeks, 4lb 4 oz, grade III bleed, multiple
handicaps) and Andrew, age 3 (37 weeks, 9lb 7 oz, very resistant to =
potty
learning)