Why would my infant need physiotherapy?

Hi, my name is Francyne Finlayson. I'm a paediatric physiotherapist and have worked with children suffering from many different conditions. I have had the privilege to work at the main paediatric centres of Melbourne, The Royal Children's Hospital and Monash Children's. In recent years, I have specialised in infant development and early detection of movement difficulties.

Many infants and young children have come to see me over the years who are having difficulty with moving or require monitoring of their movement skills and development. Often this is due to a rocky course when they were first born. Common types of children who I see are children who were born preterm, have suffered a brain injury before, during or soon after birth, have congenital conditions affecting development, have had long hospitalisation or required surgery in infancy. All of these children have had an altered start to life, and as we all know well the first few months of a child's life are pivotal for establishing foundations for childhood and later life.

Often children do not need help and catch up in their own time. In these cases, a check in and some simple advice to get started is all parents need. However, some children need a helping start or ongoing support for their development. That's were physiotherapy comes in. Physiotherapists are trained in the systems of the body that help us function, in particular how our bodies move. A paediatric physiotherapist can asses your child's musculoskeletal (muscles and bones) and neurological (brain and nerves) systems to see if your child needs assistance or support to get moving and function in their environment.

If you have any concerns or questions about how your child is developing, good people to speak with are your family doctor or maternal child health nurse. If you wish to have a more thorough idea of your child's development, you can request a physiotherapist to assess your child and discuss more with them about your child's skills and their potential.

Thank you for reading. If you need, I'm only an email or phone call away. Wishing you the best, Francyne Finlayson Paediatric Physiotherapist

Physiotherapy for Children

0413 588 414

fran@physiotherapyforchildren.com.au