The Benefits of Combining Bobath and Vojta Therapies in Infants with Motor Development Impairment-A Pilot Study

Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Oct 23;59(10):1883. doi: 10.3390/medicina59101883.

Abstract

Background: In infants presenting with motor development impairment, early kinesiotherapeutic interventions aim to normalise the pattern of movements and improve recovery. By applying Bobath and Vojta methods, we aimed to identify a combined approach regarding motor deficit in infants with neurological disabilities. Methods: We designed a prospective interventional study on 108 infants with motor developmental delay and applied Bobath, Vojta, or combined Bobath and Vojta therapy in three equal groups. Results: In the combined Bobath and Vojta group, complete motor recovery was achieved for 50% of the participants, with full recovery after six months, whereas in Bobath- or Vojta-only therapy groups, the total recovery for all participants was achieved at seven months. Regarding infants with muscular hypertonia, Bobath therapy initiation demonstrated complete recovery in 5 months in more than 50% of the cases, while for Vojta this was achieved in only 33.57% of the cases. Conclusions: The comparative evaluation conducted by analysing the data regarding the application of the Bobath and Vojta methods showed that combining these two therapies results in a shorter motor deficit recovery time than if a single therapy is applied. These findings have important implications for the selection of rehabilitation therapies in infants with neurological motor development issues.

Keywords: Bobath; Vojta; infants; kinesiotherapy; motor recovery.

MeSH terms

  • Child Development
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Movement
  • Movement Disorders* / rehabilitation
  • Pilot Projects
  • Prospective Studies

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.