Tiny baby makes big strides with new hydrotherapy treatment at CHOP
He's a making waves, but also giving other babies with his condition a new way to grow stronger.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A tiny patient is making a big splash in medicine.
Little Cameron is the first intubated baby to successfully receive hydrotherapy in the NICU at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
He's a making waves, but also giving other babies with his condition a new way to grow stronger.
Audrey Wood is a physical therapist in the NICU at CHOP. She says they've been doing hydrotherapy on more stable babies in the past, and when they saw the success, they expanded to babies on ventilators like Cameron.
"It's been a really great experience not only for the babies but for the families because we really try to have the families participate, and so it's another way for them to interact and bond with their babies as well as working on their developmental goals," says Wood.
Babies are gently submerged into a tub of warm water, allowing therapists like Wood to guide them through positions.
The water supports their movements because of the buoyancy, and it helps babies build strength, while feeling calm.
Since Cameron, Wood says they've had a handful of other babies in the NICU with chronic lung disease do hydrotherapy.
