Treadmill training following orthopedic surgery in lower limbs of children with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of treadmill training on gross motor function and functional mobility in children with cerebral palsy (CP) receiving physical therapy following orthopedic surgery for the lower limbs. METHODS: Children with CP between 8 and 15 years of age participated and were divided into 2 groups: those having undergone soft tissue surgery and those having undergone both soft tissue and bone surgery. The program consisted of 12 weeks of treadmill training without partial weight support at a frequency of one 30-minute session per week. RESULTS: Significant improvements were found on the gross motor function measure-88 after treadmill training; distance traveled on the 6 meter walk test; and time tolerated on the treadmill. CONCLUSIONS: Treadmill training during physical therapy is beneficial for children with CP who undergo orthopedic surgery in the lower limbs.

Accuracy of the Hammersmith infant neurological examination for the early detection of neurological changes in infants exposed to Zika virus: A case-cohort study.

ABSTRACT: The Hammersmith infant neurological examination (HINE) is a highly predictive tool for the easy and low-cost detection of cerebral palsy. Between 2015 and 2016, the rapid spread of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil was responsible for an increase in microcephaly cases. This study aimed to verify the accuracy of the HINE for the early detection of neurological problems in Brazilian babies exposed to ZIKV.This was a cross sectional case-control study of children exposed to ZIKV. This study was part of the Jundiaí ZIKV Cohort. Of a total sample of 782 children, 98 were evaluated (26 in the exposed group and 63 in the control group). We included late preterm infants and term infants who were exposed to the ZIKV and were participants in the ZIKV Cohort study. Student's t-test and stepwise multivariate logistic regression were used to compare groups.Of the 26 items evaluated in the five scored categories of the HINE (cranial nerve function, posture, movements, tone, reflexes, and reactions), only the difference in ankle dorsiflexion between the exposed and the control groups was statistically significant. However, some items showed a significant trend in relation to the control group.Our results demonstrated the importance of early neurological assessment of infants exposed to ZIKV, even in those without a microcephaly diagnosis.