Pediatric Rehabilitation is considered the combination of the methods of treatment of neurological diseases which include genetic disorders, later formed skeletal-muscular deformities with regular child rearing and rehabilitation applications. The treatment is based on the foundations of maintaining and improving the daily task capabilities of the child. Functionalizing of gross and fine motor skills are targeted.
Reasons such as the birth weight of the baby, anomalities during child birth, length of the pregnancy period, intelligence and social behavior control, history of genetic disorders in the family, muscle weakness will be examined before rehabilitation treatment to determine the necessity of the treatment. Head circumference measurment for babies under 3 years old, coordination abilities, neurological examination will be conducted within the scope of standard procedures for all babies as further detailed examination might be requested in the discovery of an anomaly.
The diseases which are treated by Pediatric Rehabiliatation are as such: Cerebral Palsy, Paralysis of the Central Nervous System, Meningomiyelocele – when during birth meninges are outside of the spinal cord, Congenital Torticollis – the crookedness of the neck developed by contractions on the baby’s neck during birth, Brachial Plexus – Tearing, injury and displacement of the baby’s shoulder and shoulder blade muscles, Osteogenesis Imperfecta – Tissue related bond disorders which occurs during the bone development of the baby, Neuromuscular Disorder – Motor Neural disorders developing in relation to defects in the development of the cortex in babies and children, Spina Bifida – Disorders occuring in the spinal cord of the baby during embriyological development of the baby. Traumatic Brain Damage, Spinal Cord damage, Pediatric rheumatism, Metabolical diseases developing relation to the muscular-skeletal system.
Methods applied during the pediatric rehabilitation: Neurodevelopmental treatment approaches, physical therapy, orthesis applications, balance and coordination training, botulinum toxin applications, electrical simulation applications and other methods deemed fit by the expert physicians. Cooperation of the family and the comfort of the baby are primarily what is important with these applications. It must be ensured by the families and health professionals that the child perceives the treatment as a game thus participates completely.