Early Intervention for Children Aged 0 to 2 Years With or at High Risk of Cerebral Palsy: International Clinical Practice Guideline Based on Systematic Reviews
JAMA Pediatrics
Morgan, C., Fetters, L., et al. (2021).
JAMA Pediatrics, 175(8), 846-858.
This systematic review investigates the early intervention of children, birth to 2 years of age, with cerebral palsy. While the review includes a variety of domains (e.g., motor, vision, sleep, mental health/parenting), this summary highlights conclusions within the scope of speech-language pathology (e.g., cognitive, communication, eating and drinking).
Not stated
January 1980-March 2016
Systematic reviews; randomized clinical trials; best available evidence
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<div>To improve communication, this review found no research on early intervention strategies specifically designed for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy; however, two studies investigating parent-child transactional programs (e.g., Hanen) in children with emerging verbal communication or suspected of being nonverbal reported improvement in communication skills and expressive language acquisition.</div>
<div>To improve cognition, this review found no research on early intervention strategies specifically designed for children with cerebral palsy or brain injury. Assistive technology was noted to have moderate to large cognitive benefits for infants and young children with a range of disabilities. "Environmental enrichment plus family engagement in task-specific and context-specific active learning that incorporates infant-generated motor and cognitive actions has a positive outcome" (p. 850).</div>
<div>To improve communication, this review found no research specifically targeting the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) by children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Three studies investigating AAC were of insufficient quality for the authors to make any conclusions.</div>
<div>To promote eating and drinking, nine systematic review articles supported using softer food consistencies and upright, supported positioning. The authors noted that "no risks were reported for modifying food consistencies; however, different food consistencies have been associated with different levels of risk. Although improvements in swallowing may be achieved through positioning modifications, reclined positions may exacerbate particular swallowing deficits" (p. 852). Insufficient evidence was found regarding the benefits and harms of neuromuscular electrical stimulation or oral sensorimotor therapy. Additional high-quality research is warranted.</div>
