JOURNAL

APPLICATION OF BOBATH THERAPY ELEMENTS IN PEDIATRIC NURSING CARE WITHIN REHABILITATION

Article PDF

About the Authors

Aliya Utenova – Senior nurse of the department No. 5 "Balbulak", NJSC "National Center for Children's Rehabilitation", Astana, Kazakhstan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0312-8950 

Raikhan Tleulinova – Director of nursing, NJSC "National Center for Children's Rehabilitation", Astana, Kazakhstan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1891-7955

Saltanat Alpisova – Nurse of the department No. 5 "Balbulak", NJSC "National Center for Children's Rehabilitation", Astana, Kazakhstan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4679-8324

Aidana Tengelbay – Nurse of the department No. 5 "Balbulak", NJSC "National Center for Children's Rehabilitation", Astana, Kazakhstan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0026-6724

Аbstract

This study substantiates the integration of Bobath’s conception as Neurodevelopmental Treatment elements into pediatric nursing care within a structured 24-hour neurorehabilitation framework as a model of continuous rehabilitation and care throughout the day. Initially, positioning strategies as the correct placement and support of the child’s body position are analyzed, followed by therapeutic manual guidance and facilitation of the child’s movements by a specialist and support of daily activities as continuous components of postural management. These interventions are not isolated techniques; rather, they represent cumulative micro-interventions shaping motor organization over time. Current evidence regarding the isolated effectiveness of the Bobath’s approach remains inconsistent, largely due to methodological heterogeneity and variability of protocols. This highlights the importance of structured clinical algorithms, safety monitoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systematic family education. Future research should focus on nursing-implemented 24-hour intervention models, evaluating functional outcomes and real-world clinical effectiveness.

Keywords

Pediatric neurorehabilitation, Bobath concept, neurodevelopmental treatment, nursing care, positioning, postural control, 24-hour management, aspiration prevention.

References

1. World Health Organization. International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). – Geneva: World Health Organization, 2001. – 299 p. – URL: https://iris.who.int/items/ffa4b5b5-378c-46a1-acdc-7ef20506a3f8
2. Oskoui, M., Coutinho, F., Dykeman, J., Jetté, N., & Pringsheim, T. (2013). An update on the prevalence of cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(6), 509–519. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12080
3. Novak, I., McIntyre, S., Morgan, C., Campbell, L., Dark, L., Morton, N., Stumbles, E., Wilson, S.-A., & Goldsmith, S. (2013). A systematic review of interventions for children with cerebral palsy: state of the evidence. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(10), 885–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12246
4. van den Engel-Hoek, L., de Groot, I. J. M., de Swart, B. J. M., & Erasmus, C. E. (2017). Pediatric feeding and swallowing rehabilitation: An overview. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 10(2), 95–105. https://doi.org/10.3233/PRM-170435
5. Shankaran, S. (2012). Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and novel strategies for neuroprotection. Clinics in Perinatology, 39(4), 919–929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clp.2012.09.004
6. Keenan, H. T., Bratton, S. L., & Martin, L. D. (2004). Pediatric traumatic brain injury: A review of epidemiology, management, and outcomes. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 51(2), 387–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-3955(03)00187-6
7. Wang, C. H., Bonnemann, C. G., Rutkowski, A., Sejersen, T., Bellini, J., & Battista, V. (2010). Consensus statement on standard of care for congenital muscular dystrophies. Journal of Child Neurology, 25(12), 1559–1581. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073810381924
8. Lance, J. W. (1980). The control of muscle tone, reflexes, and movement: Robert Wartenberg Lecture. Neurology, 30(12), 1303–1313. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.30.12.1303
9. Sanger, T. D., Delgado, M. R., Gaebler-Spira, D., Hallett, M., & Mink, J. W. (2003). Classification and definition of disorders causing hypertonia in childhood. Pediatrics, 111(1), e89–e97. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.111.1.e89
10. Zanon, M. A., Pacheco, R. L., Latorraca, C. O. C., Martimbianco, A. L. C., Pachito, D. V., & Riera, R. (2019). Neurodevelopmental Treatment (Бобат) for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review. Journal of Child Neurology, 34(11), 679–686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073819852237
11. Bobath B. Adult Hemiplegia: Evaluation and Treatment. – 3rd ed. – Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1990. – 190 p. – ISBN 978-0750601689.
12. Novak, I., McIntyre, S., Morgan, C., Campbell, L., Dark, L., Morton, N., Stumbles, E., Wilson, S.-A., & Goldsmith, S. (2013). A systematic review of interventions for children with cerebral palsy: state of the evidence. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(10), 885–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12246
13. Raine S., Meadows L., Lynch-Ellerington M. Bobath Concept: Theory and Clinical Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation. – Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. – 216 p. – ISBN 978-1405170413.
14. Pountney, T., Mandy, A., Green, E., & Gard, P. (2002). Management of hip dislocation with postural management. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 44(10), 695–701. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0012162201002744
15. Zanon, M. A., Pacheco, R. L., Latorraca, C. O. C., Martimbianco, A. L. C., Pachito, D. V., & Riera, R. (2019). Neurodevelopmental Treatment (Bobath) for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review. Journal of Child Neurology, 34(11), 679–686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073819852237
16. Lance, J. W. (1980). The control of muscle tone, reflexes, and movement: Robert Wartenberg Lecture. Neurology, 30(12), 1303–1313. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.30.12.1303
17. Sanger, T. D., Delgado, M. R., Gaebler-Spira, D., Hallett, M., & Mink, J. W. (2003). Classification and definition of disorders causing hypertonia in childhood. Pediatrics, 111(1), e89–e97. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.111.1.e89
18. Novak, I., Morgan, C., Fahey, M., Finch-Edmondson, M., Galea, C., Hines, A., Langdon, K., Namara, M. M., Paton, M. C. B., Popat, H., Shore, B., & Walker, K. (2020). State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 20(2), 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-020-1022-z
19. Shumway-Cook A., Woollacott M. H. Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice. – 5th ed. – Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, 2017. – 660 p. – ISBN 978-1496302632.
20. Kleim, J. A., & Jones, T. A. (2008). Principles of experience-dependent neural plasticity: implications for rehabilitation after brain damage. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51(1), S225–S239. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2008/018)
21. Novak, I., McIntyre, S., Morgan, C., Campbell, L., Dark, L., Morton, N., Stumbles, E., Wilson, S.-A., & Goldsmith, S. (2013). A systematic review of interventions for children with cerebral palsy: state of the evidence. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(10), 885–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12246
22. Zanon, M. A., Pacheco, R. L., Latorraca, C. O. C., Martimbianco, A. L. C., Pachito, D. V., & Riera, R. (2019). Neurodevelopmental Treatment (Бобат) for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review. Journal of Child Neurology, 34(11), 679–686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073819852237
23. Morgan, C., Fahey, M., Roy, B., Novak, I., & Badawi, N. (2016). Diagnosing cerebral palsy in full-term infants. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(4), 357–364. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.4644
24. Pountney, T., Mandy, A., Green, E., & Gard, P. (2002). Management of hip dislocation with postural management. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 44(10), 695–701. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0012162201002744
25. Herdman T. H., Kamitsuru S. (eds.). NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification 2021–2023. – New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, 2021. – 544 p. – ISBN 978-1626239295.