Document Type
Presentation -- MUSC Only
Publication Date
4-25-2025
Faculty Mentor
Brooke Mulrenin
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a current lack of literature and evidence to supply neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) occupational therapists with appropriate standardized assessments and interventions. This project aims to explore at which age occupational therapy services will be most beneficial and widely accepted by NICU team members. Goals of this project include understanding current best occupational therapy practices, providing the NICU with the most up to date research and outcomes of interventions and assessments on the high risk neonatal and pediatric populations, improving communication and collaboration skills to engage with all NICU team members, and leading educational sessions about evidence based developmental care for preterm, high-risk, and medically fragile infants for NICU team members.
METHODS: After extensive research and analyzing current needs at the children’s hospital, the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) assessment was designated as the chosen assessment to implement to address the gap of appropriate standardized assessment that can apply to a wide age group of NICU patients. The AIMS assessment observes infants’ movements in four planes: supine, prone, sitting, and standing and compares infants to same corrected aged peers. Along with the implementation of the assessment, further interventions have been integrated to improve best occupational therapy practices.
RESULTS: Data has been collected and analyzed via documentation and scores from the assessment, showing a linear decline in scores with increased chronological age and corrected age.
CONCLUSION: AIMS scores on infants tested at 0-4 weeks corrected age and scored an average of 71% higher than infants tested at 9-12 weeks corrected age, thus inferring that infants with longer hospitalizations are scoring poorer than those with shorter hospitalizations. When analyzed by birth gestational age, infants born more preterm had larger differences in corrected and chorological age percentiles than those born closer to term.
Recommended Citation
Murphy, Lauren G., "Occupational Therapy Assessment & Intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital" (2025). Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium. 92.
https://medica-musc.researchcommons.org/muscotd-elotd/92