dear everyone,

Am coping my thread regarding Vojta therapy and a recent study of Vojta for neonates.

As you can read in this forum I am a Vojta therapist from Holland and I do not use the 'method' Vojta any more.
But, in every method you will find little practical gems that you use and integrate into normal practice.

The only part of the treatment I did keep using was the position spoken of in the article attached below.
The difference being that when using this technique I do not hold the head in place, but talk to the babies in order to facilitate that they will actively turn to me to look at me. By holding my hand against the back of their heads I would stop them turning their heads back and they do not mind this (in most cases).
By doing so I feel I have been integrating the new motor theories and my clinical experience.
This technique helps activate the diaphragma and stomach muscles.

This 'first position' was used to treat infants in the hospital under medical supervision in this study about chest physiotherapy in preterm infants with lung diseases. It is a free access article and you can read it online. It was published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics. Chest physiotherapy in preterm infants with lung diseases http://www.ijponline.net/content/36/1/65

This is the first study I have found in a long time regarding Vojta.

I do recommend not using this technique without the proper training.

Esther