For Healthcare Professionals/Past Presentations

This poster is on a parents’ survey was a study conducted in two parts. The first was a Chicago-area sampling of 544 parents, done in collaboration with the Children’s Memorial Hospital's Child Health Data Lab. The second was a national sampling of 423 parents, done in collaboration with the Hyde Park Group. One of the more important findings of the survey was that 80% of parents do not recognize the physical milestones of a three-month-old infant and, therefore, would not be able to detect a delay. 

Where and When:

• American Physical Therapy Association  February 2006 in San Diego, CA
• American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine September 2006 Boston, MA
• Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association October 2006, Stamford, CT
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners March 2007 Orlando, FL
• Mother Baby/Neonatal Nurses combination conference - September 2007 Las Vegas,NV
• Zero to Three Conference December 2007 Orlando, FL

Authors:
Gay Girolami, MS, PT¹; Amy Becker Manion, RN, MSN, CPNP1; Felicia Kurkowski¹, Rosemary White-Traut, PhD, RN¹, Mariana Glusman, MD1; Jennifer Cartland, PhD²; Suzanne Green McLone, MPH²;

¹ Pathways Awareness Foundation's Medical Round Table, Chicago, IL, USA.

² Child Health Data Lab, Children's Memorial Hospital - The Mary Ann and J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA.

Abstract:
  
Parent reporting of their child’s motor skills and collaboration with a health care professional is a key factor in identifying movement delays at an early age and initiating early intervention. This study examines parents’ knowledge of early motor development and their understanding of the importance of early intervention. There is increasing evidence that early therapy services have a positive effect on developmental outcomes for young children with movement delays. Several studies report developmental and functional benefits for children receiving interventions. (Ketelaar M, Effects of a functional therapy program on motor abilities of children with cerebral palsy, Phys Ther 2001:81:1534-45, Brooks-Gunn J, McCarton C. Casey P, et al, Early intervention in low birth weight premature infants, JAMA 1994;272:1257-62

Description:

Subjects needed to be at least 18 years of age and the parent of a child 36 months or younger. 544 parents were recruited from eight pediatrician’s offices in the Chicago area and a national sampling of 423 parents from demographics to reflect gender, income, ethnicity, age and the geography of this population. Parents were asked to complete a survey while in the waiting rooms of pediatrician’s offices in the Chicago subjects. The national subjects completed an internet survey.  Parents were surveyed about their understanding of early child development, their preferences for obtaining resource information regarding the general health of their child and for answers related to concerns about their children’s motor skills. 

Results:

• Twenty three percent of the parents surveyed reported concerns about one of their children having a motor delay.
• Seventy-five percent of parents regard pediatricians and physician specialists as the most reliable sources of general child health information and identify them as the sources they would most often use if they had a concern about their children’s motor skills. 
• Less than half of all parents report that they would talk to their child’s pediatrician before 12 months of age if they had concerns about their child’s motor skills. For the three months infant motor skills milestones, 80% of all parents would talk to their child’s pediatrician later than what is recommended. Therefore, most parents would not reach out at this critical time.
• For parents who did discuss concerns about their child’s motor skills with a pediatrician, the majority were advised by their pediatrician to talk to a physician specialist or non-physician specialist right away; about 40% were advised to wait and see or to get more information before seeking additional medical care

Conclusion:

The majority of parents surveyed were unaware that earlier screening of movement delays is critical. Research supports family engagement in early therapy for children with motor delays has an impact on a greater range of developmental outcomes (Lekskulchai and Cole, 2001). The results of this study suggest that there are a number of ways to increase the early detection of movement delays in children. Increasing parents’ familiarity with early childhood development will increase the reporting of and thus detection of a possible motor delay. More importantly, this knowledge would empower early collaborative discussion of concerns with the family pediatrician, which in turn would facilitate early intervention.

Download Parent Knowledge Poster

Download Parent Knowledge handout

An integral part of the mission of Pathways is to target and inform parents of infants about the importance of early detection and early intervention. By familiarizing parents with the Pathways brochure “Assure the Best for Your Baby’s Physical Development” formerly known as “Is My Baby Okay?”, the organization is able to introduce essential knowledge about the early warning signs of a motor delay.

Where and When:

Poster #1:

• American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine - September 2002 New Orleans, LA
• The Physical and Developmental Environment of the High Risk Infant - Jan 2003 Clearwater, FL
• International Conference on Cerebral Palsy - May 2003 Quebec City, Quebec Canada
  Download Poster#1 & Handout for the ACCPDM & High Risk & Intern

Poster #2:

• Zero to Three National Training Institute - December 2003 New Orleans, LA
• American Physical Therapy Association Annual Meeting - June 2004 Chicago, IL
  Download Poster#2 & Handout Teaming Parents & HCP

Authors:

Gay Girolami, P.T., M.S.; SUZANN K. CAMPBELL, P.T., PH.D.; DR. MICHAEL N. NELSON, PH.D.; DR. JOHN F. SARWARK, M.D.; DR. H. GARRY GARDNER, MD; FELICIA KURKOWSKI; (PATHWAYS AWARENESS FOUNDATION, 150 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, SUITE 150, CHICAGO, IL 60601, USA)

Abstract:

Enhancing the quality of life for children with physical movement differences by offering a tool to educate parents about the benefits of early detection and intervention is an essential role of the practitioner. The Pathways Awareness Foundation can assist health care providers in attaining this goal.

Description:

Pathways utilizes a self-produced brochure, Is My Baby Okay, in conjunction with low-cost distribution opportunities to inform parents and the medical community about the early signs of physical movement disorders. The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics endorses the brochure, written by the Pathways Awareness Foundation Medical Roundtable team of experts. The centerpiece of the brochure is an illustrated comparison of postural and movement milestones of typically developing infants, juxtaposed with illustrations of postures associated with atypical development. Additional written text advises parents about the benefits of early detection, and an 800 number is provided for questions and recommendations for additional resources.

Over 1.7 million copies of the brochure, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, have already been distributed nationally and internationally. Early Intervention offices in each state have received complimentary copies, and many currently use it to fulfill the Child Find obligation of IDEA. Five Chicago area hospitals include the brochure in their newborn gift box, and collaboration with the Offices of the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Chicago permits versions of the brochure to be mailed to every parent of an infant born in the state of Illinois.

Conclusion:

Education of pediatric health care professionals regarding early detection and intervention can save precious time, permitting children with movement disorders to achieve a higher level of function and improved quality of life.

A national survey of 409 pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapists, with an average of over 20 years’ experience, confirmed what early childhood medical professionals have been observing. Two-thirds of the responding therapists reported seeing a rise in early motor delays in infants during the past six years, and those who saw this increase said that lack of tummy time experience during awake hours is the number-one contributor to the escalation in cases.

Where and When:

• MB/NNN – Phoenix, AZ Sept. 2009
• Zero to Three – Dallas, TX December 2009
• APTA – Orlando, FL Jan 2010
• NAPNAP – Chicago, IL March 2010
• NDTA – St. Louis, MO - May 2010
• Illinois AAP - Lisle, IL - June 3-4, 2011
• AAP Future of Pediatrics - Chicago, IL - July 29-31, 2011

Authors:

Gay Girolami, MS, PT¹; Rosemary White-Traut, PhD, RN¹, Felicia Kurkowski1,

¹ Pathways Awareness Foundation's Medical Round Table, Chicago, IL, USA. 


Abstract:

Background & Purpose:

A national survey of 400+ pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapists, with an average of over 20 years’ experience, confirmed what early childhood medical professionals have been observing. Two-thirds of the responding therapists reported seeing a rise in early motor delays in infants during the past six years, and those who saw this increase said that lack of tummy time experience during awake hours is the number-one contributor to the escalation in cases. Tummy time can be described as the supervised time babies spend on their stomachs while they are awake. An early motor delay occurs when a child isn’t able to meet critical physical milestones in the first months and years of life, which can later affect a child’s ability to learn basic skills such as chewing, grasping, crawling, standing and walking. This poster is intended to bring attention to the results of this survey, reinforce the need for tummy time, and draw other medical professionals into this important conversation.

Outcomes:

This survey quantifies experienced observations by qualified professionals, which may serve as a hypothesis for a future scientifically controlled study on the rate of increase and causes of early motor delays. 

• Two-thirds of therapists (66 percent) reported that they had observed an increase in early motor delays in babies under twelve months of age. Of therapists noting an increase in early motor delays, the vast majority named lack of tummy time as the number-one reason for the increase (84 percent), followed by the rise in premature births (59 percent) and back sleeping (54 percent).
• Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of all respondents thought that early motor delays could be caused or exacerbated by back sleeping, and 77 percent had observed early motor delay cases that could be attributed to babies spending extensive time on their backs while awake (in car seats, bouncers, etc.)
• Therapists observed that most parents have little or no understanding of how to provide safe tummy time experiences for their infant (70 percent).

Discussion:

The vast majority of babies now sleep on their back to prevent Sudden infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Back-sleeping, coupled with more awake time in “containers” like car seats, bouncers and strollers, add up to so much back time that babies aren’t able to develop their neck and back muscles, contributing to the increase in early motor delays. 

A few simple tummy time tips include the following: Lay baby tummy down across your lap to sooth instead of holding upright on your shoulder. Carry baby around the house tummy-side down instead of upright. Start early, providing infants with just a few minutes of tummy time per day. By three months of age build up to an hour of tummy time distributed throughout the day. Standards for tummy time are also included.

Objectives:

• The participant will understand the significance of these national survey results.
• The participant will be able to explain the link between early motor delays and lack of Tummy Time.
• The participant will include the importance of Tummy Time in patient education. 
• The participant will be able to inform others of what tummy time is and why it is important.
• The participant will be able to implement different tummy time positions into playtime with baby.
• The participant will learn what to do if he or she suspects an Early Motor Delay.

Download Tummy Time Poster

Download Tummy Time Handout

Download Tummy Time Poster Photo