Physiotherapy Blog

Enriched Play for Infants - Helping them Learn

I have just read an article by Deng et al., 2025 (Pediatric Physical Therapy) which discusses the key elements involved in helping infants to learn. The authors mention that enriched play at home involves stimulating numerous systems during playtime, such as vision, hearing, touch, pressure, movement, as well as social and cognitive skills. Enriched play at home should be new to the infant, stimulating and motivating, so that the infant is engaged and active in the activity t

Dr. Janet Hale

2 days ago2 min read

The Importance of early Infant movements - rotation is key

Hi everyone; I was just at an infant movements course this weekend, focusing on early infant movements from preterm and up to 4 months of age. As this time period is before the infants develop voluntary movements, it is seen as a window into the central nervous system and how it functions. When we were watching typical preterm and post term infants, I was surprised at how elegant and fluid their early infant movements were, using variety and rotations, just like a dancer. Ev

Dr. Janet Hale

May 42 min read

Updates in Pediatric Physiotherapy - Traffic Lights for best practice in Cerebral Palsy

Did you know that there is a traffic light protocol - on what physiotherapist SHOULD do and shouldn't do for the treatment of infants and children with cerebral palsy, best practice in physiotherapy in cerebral palsy. According to an updated article in 2020 by Novak and others, we are getting much better at medical intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care, including paying attention to parents and making sure they get lots of time with their infants. We are also getting be

Dr. Janet Hale

Nov 25, 20243 min read

Updates in Pediatric Physiotherapy - Training Motor Movements

Hi everyone! I'm just back from the American Pediatric Physical Therapy Conference in Rhode Island and they were reminding us about how what to focus on in training new motor movements like crawling, walking, balancing, climbing etc. The most important concept is that the infant or child do the motor movement themselves or actively - that is what creates motor learning and develops the brain circuitry. Training motor movements has to be fun, something the child is interested

Dr. Janet Hale

Nov 25, 20242 min read

Updates in Pediatric Physiotherapy - Torticollis Infant Exercises - 2024

Hi everyone! I'm just back from the Annual American Pediatric Physical Therapy conference in Rhode Island. They've updated what physiotherapists should be doing with infants with torticollis and plagiocephaly (head flattening) - torticollis infant exercises - including making sure we educate new and expectant parents on the importance of supervised tummy time 2-3x /day, making sure your infant has full movements throughout the body and prevent only using one side of the body

Dr. Janet Hale

Nov 25, 20242 min read

Tips from PACE Physio, Infant Physiotherapy, on the KEY milestones of motor development in the first year of life?

Important Motor Milestones: In pediatric physiotherapy, I am often asked by parents what are the important motor milestones in that first year and when should they get concerned. Generally infants learn to lift their head up and begin to tolerate tummy-time by 2 - 3 months, control their head in all positions by 4 months, roll from their back to their tummy by 6 months, sit independently without falling over by 7 months, crawl on all fours by 9 months, get up to standing a

Dr. Janet Hale

Jun 3, 20213 min read

Tips from PACE Physio - Why would my infant or child see a pediatric physiotherapist?

Dr. Janet Hale

May 16, 20212 min read