The expert physios at Ready Steady Therapy are highly skilled at assessing and treating a wide range of developmental conditions that often effect babies and toddlers.
Here are some of the conditions we see frequently:
Developmental dysplasia of the hip doesn’t cause pain in babies, so it can be hard to notice without a thorough assessment. Infants are usually treated with physiotherapy sessions and a soft brace, called a Pavlik harness, that holds the hip joint in a good position for several months. This allows for the hip socket to develop with the head of femur (thigh bone) firmly in the hip socket. More severe cases may require a hip Spica cast or surgery. Talk to our Physios about treatment options for DDH. If your child has had Hip Dysplasia and had to wear a brace for a few months they may have slight delays to their gross motor skills, if you have any concerns then see your GP or Paediaitric Physio.
Torticollis is when the neck spasms and is predominantly turned to one side. It is often caused by a complicated delivery, such as forceps or vacuum extraction. It is apparent because baby has a predominant head turn preference mainly looking in one direction, making things like feeding difficult. If left unchecked, it can cause flattening of one side of the head (positional plagiocephaly) and stiff neck muscles.
Treatment is straightforward with our physios prescribing a series of controlled neck stretching exercises to loosen the neck muscle and positioning tips.
Talipes is a condition where one or both feet are turned. In most cases the front of the foot is turned inwards and downwards (talipes equinovarus), occasionally the foot is turned downwards and outwards (talipes equinovalgus).
Our physios help your baby with a variety of treatments, and in most cases, Talipes will resolve and not cause any issues with walking or activities in later life.
By four months, many babies are starting to explore their environment through rolling at 4-6 months and by 6 months most children begin to sit. If your child has not started sitting by themselves by 9 months, or crawling by 12 months, their gross motor skills should be assessed by our team. If your child hasn’t begun walking by 18 months, the same applies.
We’re skilled at creating activities to improve core strength and co-ordination to help your baby hit their milestones and the activities suggested in the appointment are easily integrated into your baby’s everyday routines, helping them to master those new motor skills.
You can also check out our blog posts on motor development for some tips and tricks at developing gross motor skills.
We can help you with all of the above and many more conditions. There are no silly questions, your baby’s health is our number one priority and any concern you have should be checked by a professional paediatric physiotherapist.
