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Evaluation of a “tummy time” intervention to improve motor skills in infants after cardiac surgery

Part of: Surgery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2021

Karen Uzark*
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Cynthia Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Sunkyung Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Ray Lowery
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Christopher Tapley
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Jennifer C. Romano
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Jennifer Butcher
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
*
Author for correspondence: K. Uzark, PhD, CPNP, University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, SPC 5202, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5202, USA. Tel: (734) 615-9748; Fax: (734) 232-3744. E-mail: karenu@med.umich.edu

Abstract

Background:

Infants who require open heart surgery are at increased risk for developmental delays including gross motor impairments which may have implications for later adaptive skills and cognitive performance. We sought to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a tummy time intervention to improve motor skill development in infants after cardiac surgery.

Methods:

Infants <4 months of age who underwent cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to tummy time with or without outpatient reinforcement or standard of care prior to hospital discharge. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was administered to each infant prior to and 3 months after discharge. Groups were compared, and the association between parent-reported tummy time at home and change in motor scores at follow-up was examined.

Results:

Parents of infants (n = 64) who had cardiac surgery at a median age of 5 days were randomly assigned to tummy time instruction (n = 20), tummy time + outpatient reinforcement (n = 21) or standard of care (n = 23). Forty-nine (77%) returned for follow-up. At follow-up, reported daily tummy time was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.17). Fifteen infants had <15 minutes of tummy time daily. Infants who received >15 minutes of tummy time daily had a significantly greater improvement in motor scores than infants with <15 minutes of tummy time daily (p = 0.01).

Conclusion:

In infants following cardiac surgery, <15 minutes of tummy time daily is associated with increased motor skill impairment. Further research is needed to elucidate the best strategies to optimise parental compliance with tummy time recommendations.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This paper was presented in part as a poster at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia, PA, November 16–18, 2019.

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