EARLY PHYSIOTHERAPY AD MODUM VOJTA OR BOBATH IN INFANTS WITH SUSPECTED NEUROMOTOR DISTURBANCE¹

Abstract

Thirty children with early signs of cerebral neuromotor disturbances according to "Vojta criteria" were followed until the age of thirtythree months to six years. Twelve children were treated with early physiotherapy according to Bobath, ten children were treated according to Vojta and eight constituted a control group.
The infants intended for early physical therapy were divided by random into two different groups. The neonatal risk factors, however, proved to be unevenly distributed among the infants in the Vojta- and the Bobath-treated groups - the latter being more heavily burdened in this respect.
Vojta has claimed that his method of early physiotherapy is able to prevent the development of cerebral palsy (cp) of "uncomplicated" (but not of "complicated") type.
At follow-up we found one child out of nine with "uncomplicated" cp in the Vojta group against three out of six in the Bobath- and two out of six in the control group.
These differences, however, are not statistically significant.
Further detailed studies with greater groups of children seem necessary to help us to clarify these problems.
The psychological aspects of early physiotherapy should be thoroughly considered and this is particularly important in connection with the Vojta method.

Key words

Cerebral palsy - early physiotherapy - neuromotor disturbance