What is the profession of occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy is a broad therapeutic field that touches on many areas. The ultimate goal of occupational therapy is to enable and encourage participation in meaningful activities in daily life. In early childhood and infants in particular, treatment refers to activities such as: eating, sleeping, play exploration, play and learning, connection and communication with others, and more. Emphasis is placed on sensorimotor skills, sensory regulation, perceptual and communicative functioning, and fine and gross motor skills.

When do you meet with the occupational therapist?

There are premature babies for whom the occupational clinic is part of the premature baby's paramedical team. The occupational clinic in the premature baby provides training on reading the premature baby's body language, sensory systems, development, and facilitators that encourage development and communication. In addition, training is provided on transitioning from tube feeding.

For oral feeding – all while placing great emphasis on the regulation of the premature baby during his stay in the neonatal unit and before going home. The occupational clinic is an integral part of the paramedical team at the Child Development Institute and you will meet with it as part of your child's follow-up.

Who refers to the occupational clinic and in what cases?

You will receive a referral to the occupational clinic from the developmental doctor or neurologist who is following your children.

However, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the occupational clinic's areas of expertise and if you think it can contribute to your child - you should request a dedicated referral from the doctor, even if it was not suggested by him. You can come to the occupational clinic at any age of your child. It is known that premature babies have a greater incidence of sensory regulation difficulties, feeding difficulties, delayed development of gross and fine motor skills with an impact on the quality of sleep, eating, play exploration, play and learning, and communication.

How do we identify difficulty in sensory regulation?

Unlike motor difficulties that can be measured quantitatively, difficulties in sensory regulation are often attributed to the baby's personality, due to the wide variety of difficulties and the different manifestations from baby to baby, such as: greater sensitivity to touch, to certain fabrics or textures, to movement, light and noise. These difficulties may show a picture of a grumpy baby, with outbursts of crying that are difficult to calm or

Alternatively, a baby who sleeps much more than expected as part of his coping with sensitivity. There are tools to help a baby who experiences such sensitivity and his family. If you, as parents, feel that your child cries a lot and do not always know why, is very sensitive to noise, cries in the shower, during feeding, when he is moved, in the car or stroller, when his diaper is changed, is picky about food, eats frequently or is not interested in eating at all, has difficulty falling asleep, sleeps during the day and is awake at night or sleeps much more than expected for his corrected age – there may be a difficulty and it is worth consulting with an occupational therapist who will diagnose the source of the difficulty and provide guidance on ways to cope and provide relief for your child and you.

Is Peg also a few weeks old?
Doesn't the game belong to older children?

Learning and exploration about the world occurs from the child's first encounter with the world and even before that.

Children learn through play, which is influenced by many factors that contribute to development and learning. When there is a delay in development, one factor or another may affect play and indirectly affect learning and development. The level of play and exploration changes with age; already at the corrected age of about one and a half to two months, we will see the baby's unintentional movements towards a toy accompanied by his gaze. The baby will move the toy or make it make a noise, will learn that the movement he made caused this and later the movement will become intentional. The baby puts many objects in his mouth, which requires extreme care for safety, but by putting objects in his mouth, he explores the world around him by feeling textures, shapes, and more. Later, play becomes more communicative and directed at others.

If there is a delay in motor development – gross or fine – and in the ability to regulate sensory input, difficulty may also be seen in play – the child will have difficulty manipulating objects or moving to explore and play, will avoid touching certain textures due to discomfort, and thus will not actually experiment or experience the world as expected of a baby of his/her corrected age. Therefore, it is important to monitor your child’s ability to play and explore: does he/she follow games such as university or games that you present to him/her, does he/she at the age of

At 4 months, does the child begin to reach out for a toy, grasp and transfer it from hand to hand, put the toy into the mouth, is there a tendency toward certain colors of toy, avoidance of different types such as bright or noisy toys, plastic versus cloth toys, etc.? If your child is not varied in play or is delayed in one of the R.M. activities, there may be a difficulty and it is worth consulting with an occupational therapist.

How can eating difficulties be helped?

Due to the many interventions that some premature babies undergo in their first years of life related to the oral area, such as intubations and the insertion of a feeding tube, they develop sensitivity in this area, which makes eating difficult. In addition, there is sometimes weakness around the mouth, difficulty synchronizing swallowing and breathing, and long meal times. For these difficulties, the occupational clinic can provide guidance that will make it easier for your child and prevent future eating difficulties, and therefore, from the first stage in which you identify a difficulty related to eating, it is worth consulting with an occupational clinic.

In conclusion

Many premature babies develop normally without difficulty, but some will experience difficulties in certain areas. These difficulties can be treated and even prevented, and therefore it is important to have a "hand on the pulse" when it comes to development, in all areas of development, and not just motor development. If you notice that your child has difficulty making eye contact, does not develop deliberate reaching, shows a preference for one side, is grumpy or, alternatively, sleeps a lot for his corrected age, has difficulty forming sleep-wake cycles and eating cycles, does not put objects in his mouth, does not put his hands or feet (later) in his mouth, shows little interest in the environment, and other signs that you, as parents, will most accurately identify in a premature baby, there are

Contact the Child Development Institute and ask to consult with an occupational therapist.