Dynamics of Physical Development Indicators in Children with Cerebral Palsy using Bobat Method in the Course of Physical Therapy

Despite the existence of traditional and diverse ranges of author approaches for physical therapy, there is still a problem of choosing and applying the most effective methods of physical rehabilitation. The physical development as a complex characteristic is one of the leading assessments of the morpho-functional state of children in its development and in the process of growth. An important component of the child's development is the structure of the body, which is characterized by a number of anthropometric parameters that determine the features of sizes proportionality, indicating the physiology of the musculoskeletal, muscular, nervous and other systems of the body, as well as signaling the development of the child's pathology. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the physical therapy using the Bobat method on the parameters of physical development in preschool children with cerebral palsy. The main indicators of physical development (PD) in preschool children include body weight (BW, kg), body length standing (BL, cm) and sitting (BLS, cm), head coverage (HC, cm), chest coverage (CC, cm) and its excursion (CE, cm). Other indicators of physical evolution have not been widely used in practice. All indicators of PD have been investigated using traditional methods. For the determination of preschool age children's PD with various CNS lesions we examined influence of the physical therapy using the Bobat method, 35 children aged 4.1 ± 1.1 years (at the beginning of the course). That was the main group (MG). We conducted all of 72 procedures. There was also a control group (CG), where the results of PD were studied and analyzed in 34 children aged 3.8 ± 0.9 years who were undergoing rehabilitation using standard methods. The course of Bobat therapy included: the provision of treatment using specialized child's body position, the reduction of the influence of pathological reflexes (ASSHT, lip reflex (snot reflex), sucking, search, Moreau, cross extensor reflex, etc.) on the musculoskeletal system and implementation of the complex of exercises for the formation of elementary motor skills and the development of basic physical qualities. Studies of the dynamics of the physical development indicators of preschool children with cerebral palsy were carried out using Bobat therapy during 6 months. It was shown that after 6-month physical therapy using Bobat method, in comparison with standard approaches, there was an increase in physical development indices of children, in particular, body length (p <0.05), body weight (p <0.01) and circumference thorax (p <0.05).