cystic fibrosis and physiotherapy in babies

Question

How can we do physio in babies? Ours is 12 months old and complains all the time

Answer

Dear friend,
Certainly it is not pleasant for the child to nag and complain. On the other hand, it is imperative that the child should get its daily physio.
You do not mention anything about the condition of the pulmonary system. Even if you think that there are no secretions, or that the secretions are very little, you must continue with the physiotherapy regime.
It is extremely important for the child to learn from an early age to comply and adhere to the daily physiotherapy program. Only this way it will learn to do systematic physio in the future.
The fact that the child nags and complains does not necessarily mean it suffers, or is in pain. You must persist, in order for the child to realize that it cannot avoid physio through nagging or crying.
You can try to play huffing games with the child during physio, in order to make the time pass more enjoyably.
Yours friendly,
Konstantinos Katsoulakis

07.02.2011

7.2.11 Here comes additional information on this topic from one of the German physiotherapy specialists, Mrs. B. Dittmar
"On the international level one finds a variety of techniques (see: www.cfww.org/ipg-cf/), from Active Cycle of Breathing techniques (ACBT) via autogenic drainage to postural drainage and percussion - everything is used. In Germany, physiotherapy for babies and little children is performed according to the age and clinical findings and there is an expert consensus that the passive techniques, which are used at the beginning of the treatment of babies, are replaced with increasing age by active techniques, which require the compliance of the child. The children ought to have fun with their breathing and moving and the natural curiosity is used for the playful therapy.

A 12 month old child is developing his possiblity of moving and new rooms, toys are questioned and it is only willing to be treated very shortly with manual, passive techniques, the most if it is occupied with something else.
Vibrations can be combined with sounding outbreathing (animal sounds), hopping on a ball can be combined with contact breathing and leading to different breathing techniques is initiated by blowing mobiles and wind wheels.
Continuing a soley passive therapy does not correspond to the development of the children and children could be demotivated by this early. Apart from the fact that you only continue something that makes fun, one can not achieve a relaxed and profound breathing with a crying child, as the airways could become obstructive via crying."
B. Dittmar