A new service offered on the Mary Lanning Healthcare Family Care Center is making a splash with parents of premature babies.
Some premature infants in the MLH Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are now receiving infant hydrotherapy through the MLH Physical and Occupational Therapy team.
Occupational therapist Jill Hofman said MLH is the only place in the region performing hydrotherapy for infants. She said MLH families have seen wonderful results from the new service.
“Hydrotherapy helps babies develop endurance, stable vital signs and the ability to self-soothe,” Hofman said. “It’s just amazing.”
Other benefits of hydrotherapy are increased muscle strength, better transition from sleeping to awake states before feedings, weight gain, better sensory processing, increased movement, improved sleep quality and lessened pain.
“There’s really no down-side,” said Hofman, who leads the team of therapists who received specialized training in hydrotherapy.
Each hydrotherapy session lasts about 10 minutes. During that time, the therapist supports the infant and provides sensory input as the infant is taken through exercises while in the water.
The water is kept at a certain temperature so the infant stays warm and stable. The infant is never submerged in the water.
Donna Munsell, MLH Family Care Center Director, said parents really enjoy watching their babies receive therapy, after which the parents are encouraged to bond with their infants by giving them a bath and assisting with feeding.
“This is just another of the wonderful services families enjoy when they choose Mary Lanning Healthcare for their birth experience,” Munsell said.