A Family-Centered Approach to the Care and Rehabilitation of a Child With Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is one of the most common organ dysfunctions, with high mortality rates, lower quality of life, and long-term neurological sequelae. A family-centered approach is the best service delivery method in early intervention and pediatric rehabilitation today. In this paper, we present a 16-month-old child with SAE, resulting in difficulties in multiple developmental areas such as eating, motor skills, cognition, and communication. After leaving the ICU, the child was provided with a care and rehabilitation program including speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and oral baclofen for spasticity reduction. With a family-centered approach, the mother was provided information and coached on care and therapeutic exercise routines, and she participated as a member of the treatment team. After two months of rehabilitation treatment, improvements were noted in the child's nutritional status, eating ability, motor skills, cognition, communication, and family satisfaction. This paper emphasizes how a family-centered care and rehabilitation program is implemented in a resource-limited setting.