RESULTS OF REHABILITATION MEASURES IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Objective. To evaluate the results of the rehabilitation program based on the Bobath method, conducted in a hospital for cerebral palsy (CP). Materials and methods. The study included 28 children with CP who were undergoing inpatient treatment in a pediatric hospital. Inclusion criteria: inpatient treatment in our hospital from 2 to 12 years of age with a diagnosis of CP; the presence of one permanent primary caregiver; the absence of medical or psychotic problems in the caregiver. All patients underwent Bobath treatment for I hour per day, 5 days per week. Musculoskeletal, neurological and orthopedic examination, patients' Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and long-term caregivers' Short Form-36 (SF-36) were assessed at hospital admission, hospital discharge and at 1 and 3 months post-discharge. Results. Post-hospital GMFM scores at discharge and at 1 and 3 months showed a significant increase. The SF-36 Social Function and Emotional Role subscales increased significantly at discharge. Conclusions. Bobath treatment is a promising direction in medical rehabilitation and further randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation techniques. KEYWORDS: Cerebral Palsy, Rehabilitation, Bobath