Photo Credit: Fatcamera
The Following is a summary of “Focus on Physiotherapy and Manual Therapy for Infants in Norway, Cross-Sectional Study on Referral Practice, and Planned Interventions,” Published in the April 2025 Issue of BMC Pediatrics by Handeland et al.
Norway mandates Systematic Follow-Up for All Infants Through Municipal Child Health Care Centers. Some are Referred to as Physiotherapists or Manual Therapists, But Referral Source and Reasons Remain Unclear.
RESEARCHERS DRIVED A RETROSPTIVE STUDY TO EXAMINE CHILD REFERRAL PRACTICES TO PHYSIOTHERAPY AND COMPARE CARE BY PHYSIOTHERAPISTS AND MANUAL THERAPISTS IN NORWEGIAN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE.
They conduct the cross-sectional studonal Study including 444 infants under 12 months Referred to physiotherapists or manual Therapists in Norwegian Primary Health care.
The Results Showed the MediaN Age was 14 Weeks (Range 1–52) and 344 Children Were Born at Term. Most Physiotherapist Referrals Came from Health Personnel, While Manual Therapist Referrals Were Mostly From Parents. About 42% Were Examined Between Weeks 1–12. Engine Development Concerns Were Equally Referred to Both. All Premature Children Were Referred to Physiotherapists. Both Planned Advice, Handling, and Stimulation; Physiotherapists Focused more on motor Advice and Prone Play.
Investigators Found that infants were Referred for various reasons with a Reasonable Distribution of Diagnoses Between Therapists. They also observed that referrals came mostly from health personnel, and Some Infants with Asymmetries Should have be Been Examined Earlier.
Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-025-05627-3
