A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF EARLY PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR HIGH-RISK INFANTS

The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that infants a t high risk of cerebral palsy would benefit from early physiotherapy. In total, 105 infants with abnormal cranial ultrasound scans were rand omized at around term to early physiotherapy or standard treatment (de laying physiotherapy until abnormal physical signs became apparent). A t 12 and 30 months there were clinical and objective assessments. Nine infants died and nine were lost to follow-up by 12 months when 87 inf ants were assessed. One other child had died and three others were los t to follow-up by 30 months when 83 children were assessed. Cerebral p alsy was only accurately predicted in 45 (54%) infants. There was no d ifference in outcome. The difficulty of predicting cerebral palsy reli ably and the heterogeneity of the condition should be borne in mind wh en planning treatment and assessing its efficacy.