Method for treatment of children with developmental delay

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein is a method and device for treatment of children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development. A neck flotation device such as an inflatable collar is affixed around the child's neck. The child wearing the aforementioned neck flotation device is immersed into the pool of water in which the water has been heated to approximately 92-94 degrees Fahrenheit. The child's head is supported by the neck flotation device to ensure safe breathing. The child's torso and extremities are suspended vertically in the therapy tank filled with warm water. The child can move in the pool of warm water without being restrained by gravity. By the method disclosed herein, children suffering from diseases and conditions which cause delayed neuromuscular development are permitted to exercise their muscles to develop muscle tone, increase lung function and promote neuromuscular coordination.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This continuation in part patent application specifically references U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11/980906 filed on Oct. 31, 2007 pending in Art Unit 3769, Jeffrey B. Lipitz, examiner. A copy of which is attached hereto by reference as if fully set forth.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The invention described in this application was not the subject of federally sponsored research or development.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The field of the invention disclosed herein is a method and device for treatment of children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development. Specifically, the invention disclosed herein is a method by which children may further develop neuromuscular coordination, muscular tone, and lung function despite their disease or condition.

2. Description of the Related Art

Children suffering from delayed neuromuscular development display decreased coordination, decreased muscle tone, decreased lung function, neurocognitive disorders, delayed speech and other problems. These problems are especially evident in infants born prematurely, those children with genetic disorders, and in those infants who suffer brain injury during the birth process. The emotional and financial costs in supporting children suffering from delayed neuromuscular development can last a lifetime and are enormous. Prior art methods of rehabilitation of children with delayed neuromuscular development have focused on physical therapy, speech therapy, and vocational therapy initially delivered to the child years after the child is born. Much time in rehabilitation is lost from the time of birth until formal rehabilitation measures are implemented. What is needed in the art is a method and device for treatment of infants and young children suffering from diseases or conditions which cause delayed neuromuscular development and which is low cost and easy to perform.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein is a method and device for treatment of children suffering from conditions and diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development and which is low cost, and easy to perform. Those children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development include the following diagnoses: Spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, infantile spasms, dystonia, lissencephaly, Miller Deiker Syndrome, microencephaly, hydraencephaly, trisomies, traumatic brain injury, acute brain injury, infection, skeletal muscular imbalance, hemiplegia, neonatal stroke, Down's syndrome, holoprosencephaly, seizure disorder, visual disorders, hearing impairment, failure to thrive, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, global delay syndrome, hypoxia, anoxia, shoulder dystocia, mitochondrial disease, Walker Warburg syndrome, lennox-gastaut syndrome, pachygria, hypotonia, skull fracture, chromosomal disorders, hydroencephaly, torticollis, Aicardi's syndrome, scoliosis, pediatric osteoporosis, frozen hip syndrome, hip dysplasia, Cri Du Chat, Wolf Hirschorn syndrome, muscular dystrophy, septo-opyic dysplasia, Zellwegers syndrome, Canavan, static encephalopathy, Prader-Willi syndrome, optic nerve hypoplasia, schizencephaly, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, biotin responsive basal ganglia disease, Lesch Nyhan, hemiparesis, congenital disorders of glycosylation, epilepsy, macrocephaly, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, clubbed feet, arthrogryposis, megalencephaly, Potocki-Shaffer syndrome, brain tumor, development coordination disorder, Charge syndrome, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Specifically, the invention disclosed herein is a method for water therapy using a collapsible therapy tank to hold the pool of warm water and a neck flotation device for water therapy which is affixed around the neck of the child so as to support the child's head above the level of the water. The value of the invention disclosed herein is that children suffering from conditions and diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development have compromised head control and would be unable to participate in water therapy independently. The neck flotation device can be designed and constructed to safely hold children of different weights and sizes. The neck flotation device is also configured so as to have handles on the top of the neck flotation device to enable the caregiver to maneuver the child in the pool of water. The neck flotation device is further configured to provide a horizontal indentation in the shelf of the inner circumference of the neck flotation device to keep the child properly placed in the neck flotation device. The child to which the neck flotation device is affixed is placed in the pool of water which has been warmed to approximately 92-94 degrees Fahrenheit which enables the child to maintain body temperature at approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The neck flotation device supports the child's head and keeps the child's head above the surface of the pool of water. The child's torso and extremities are suspended vertically in the pool of warm water. The muscles of the child's body are permitted free movement in the water without the hindrance of gravity. By this method, the child is permitted to move freely, exercising all of the muscles of the torso and extremities. By this method of water therapy, cognitive development, neuromuscular coordination, muscular tone and lung function are all improved. Older children with recognized delayed neuromuscular development may also benefit from the treatment disclosed herein. A physician, physical therapist or parent of a child may easily use the invention disclosed herein to provide water therapy to infants and children suffering from a condition or disease which causes delayed neuromuscular development.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE INVENTION

a better understanding of the invention disclosed herein may be had by review of the figures described below:

FIG. 1 is a side oblique view of the invention disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the disassembled therapy tank of water.

FIG. 3 is a side oblique view of the therapy tank being assembled and insertion of the ribs supporting the portable therapy tank of water.

FIG. 4 is a side oblique view of the assembled therapy tank filled with water.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the neck flotation device.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the neck flotation device.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the neck flotation device.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the neck flotation device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Rehabilitation of children suffering from diseases or conditions which cause delayed neuromuscular development usually doesn't begin until several years after the birth of the child. Nearly 85% of brain development occurs in the first three years of life. By the time traditional rehabilitation methods are implemented, much time has been lost. The invention disclosed herein is a method and device which can be used at a treatment facility to provide water therapy or which parents can use at home to promote cognitive development, neuromuscular coordination, muscular tone and lung function in their children. Such method can be implemented shortly after birth in infants suffering from conditions or disease which cause neuromuscular development delay so as to maximize the effects of invention disclosed herein. Older children with recognized developmental delays may also benefit from water treatment. However, as described above much of the brain development occurs early in life. The earlier water therapy begins with a child the better the expected result. The preferred embodiment is intended for children suffering from conditions or disease which cause delayed neuromuscular development of the age 1 day to 4 years and who are otherwise stable, i.e. have no intravenous lines or need for supplemental oxygen.

Neonatal swimming has been previously used to accelerate a baby's growth in the early stage. Zhao et al., the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, 2005; 17(1): 59-62. In this study, normal babies were taken at birth and permitted to swim twice a day for 10 minutes duration each from the time of delivery until discharge from the hospital. These investigators monitored body weight, time of first defecation and time of meconium turning yellow following swimming. The study reported that those babies participating in neonatal swimming had a significant increase in weight and significant increase in the maturity and development of the digestive system. These authors stated that the increase in weight in those babies participating in neonatal swimming was associated with 1) growth of the muscles and skeleton, 2) increased development of the respiratory and circulatory system and 3) increased development of the digestive tract. However, the Zhao reference examined normal babies rather than babies suffering from a condition or disease which causes delayed neuromuscular development. The invention disclosed herein is a method employing water therapy to improve development of the muscles, neuromuscular coordination, and lung function in infants and children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development. It has been observed by physical therapists and parents that infants and children suffering from diseases or conditions which cause delayed neuromuscular development have improved muscular tone, neuromuscular coordination, and increased lung function following water therapy. Children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development have shown improvement through water therapy according to reports in the medical literature. In Getz, et al, Clinical Rehabilitation 2006; 20: 927-936, it was reported that children suffering from cerebral palsy had increased lung function following a course of water therapy. McIntyre and Plummer, Phys Occup Ther Pediatr 2010; 30(2): 111-24, showed that aquatic therapy improved motor skills in children with Development Coordination Disorder (DCD). Fragala-Pinkham et al. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2009; 21(1): 68-78, demonstrated that water therapy produced clinically significant improvement in functional mobility, walking endurance, range of motion, muscle strength and/or pain reduction in children with cerebral palsy, juvenile idiopathic arthritis or Prader-Willi syndrome following water therapy. In another study, Fragal-Pinkham, 2009; Pediatr Phys Ther. 21(4):335-44, reported that water aerobic exercise improved functional abilities, walking endurance and speed in a child with cerebral palsy. Improvement in functional mobility following water therapy was shown by McManus and Kotelchuck, 2007; Pediatr Phys Ther. 19(4):275-82, in children with delayed functional mobility. In Salem and Gropack, 2010; Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 30(4):313-324, children with spinal muscular atrophy demonstrated improvement of gross motor function and gait following a course of water therapy.

As shown in FIG. 1, a neck flotation device such as an inflated collar 1 is attached around the child's neck 2 to support the child's head 3 and keep the head 3 above water 4. The child wearing the neck flotation device 1 is placed in the the pool of water 5 in which the water has been warmed to a temperature of approximately 92-94 degrees Fahrenheit so that core body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is maintained without additional caloric expenditure. The neck flotation device 1 surrounding the child's neck 3 permits the child's torso 6 and extremities 7 to be suspended vertically in the water. In this way, the child is able to twist and turn his torso 6 or move his extremities 7, including fingers and toes without the restraint of gravity. The water places more pressure on the child's chest than does ambient air which requires increased contractual effort by the torso muscles and thereby improving the child's lung function over time. As the child moves about in the water, the child's muscles are gently massaged and stimulated by therapeutically warm water of 92-94 degrees Fahrenheit. Handles 8 attached to the upper side of the neck flotation device 1 enable the caregiver to maneuver the child about the pool of water. The preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein provides therapeutic benefit when conducted between 30 minutes and 60 minutes, a day. It is recommended that a parent or other responsible adult be in constant attendance while the child is in the pool of water.

The child who suffers from a condition or disease which cause delayed neuromuscular development can be difficult to transport to therapy treatment centers. The method disclosed herein allows frequent, daily therapeutic treatment in the home by parent and/or therapist. In another embodiment of the method disclosed herein, the parents or caregiver may use at home, a collapsible therapy tank of sufficient size and dimension to hold enough water when assembled and filled with water so that the child can suspend vertically in the pool of water.

FIG. 2 shows the collapsible therapy tank 9 in the disassembled form. The collapsible therapy tank 9 is supported by a plurality of ribs 10 which fit into sleeves 11 along the side of the collapsible therapy tank 9. The ribs 10 provide rigidity to the collapsible therapy tank 9 when the collapsible therapy tank 9 is assembled and filled with water. The collapsible therapy tank 9 has a drain 12 for removing the water from the collapsible therapy tank 9 following a therapy session. A drain hose 13 is attached to the drain 12 to permit the water from the collapsible therapy tank 9 to be removed.

Assembly of the collapsible therapy tank 9 and filling collapsible therapy tank 9 with water is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The collapsible therapy tank 9 is supported by a plurality of ribs 10 which are inserted into sleeves 11 on the collapsible therapy tank 9 to instill rigidity into the collapsible therapy tank 9 so that it can be filled with water for a therapy session. The collapsible therapy tank 9 is of such size and dimension so as to hold sufficient water to permit the child suffering from a condition or disease which cause delayed neuromuscular development to be suspended vertically in the pool of water 5. Vertical suspension of the child 3 suffering from a condition or disease which causes delayed neuromuscular development permits the child 3 to move freely in the pool of water 5 to promote muscle strength, neuromuscular coordination and range of motion. The collapsible therapy tank 9 is constructed from an insulating material which minimizes heat loss from the water in the pool. In some circumstances, lung function may be adversely affected by chlorinated water. Chlorinated water has been shown to increase the risk of bronchiolitis and lung infection in children which may lead to asthma and respiratory allergies. European Respiratory Journal, online Jan. 14, 2010. The invention disclosed herein provides a mechanism for water therapy in a pool of unchlorinated water.

The neck flotation device 1 is shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8. The neck flotation device consists of a top inflatable circular bladder 15 and a bottom inflatable circular bladder 16 as shown in FIG. 8. The top inflatable circular bladder 15 is approximately 15% smaller in volume when inflated than the bottom inflatable circular bladder 16 which is commensurately larger in size than the top inflatable circular bladder 15. The purpose of the difference in size between the bottom inflatable circular bladder 16 and the top inflatable circular bladder 15 is to improve buoyancy in the neck flotation device 1. The neck flotation device 1 is open in one place forming two ends 17 as shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the neck flotation device 1 is designed and constructed to resemble a circular horseshoe with a circular opening 14 in the middle. The top inflatable circular bladder 15 is inflated through a sealable port 18. The bottom inflatable circular bladder 16 likewise has a sealable inflation port. When not in use the neck flotation device 1 may be deflated through the sealable port 18. A shelf 19 is constructed along the inner circumference of the neck flotation device. A recess 13 in the shelf 19 is located along the inner circumference of the neck flotation device 1 at a point equidistant between the two disconnected ends 17. The child to receive treatment is placed into the neck flotation device 1 in such a way that the child's head 3 is above the circular opening 14 in the neck flotation device 1. The placement of the child's chin in the horizontal indentation 13 places the child in the neck flotation device 1 so that the child faces the opposite direction from the two disconnected ends 17. The neck flotation device 1 is constructed with handles 8 on the top surface of the neck flotation device 1 and arranged so as to not obscure the visual field of the child. The neck flotation device 1 is affixed around the child's neck by adjustable fasteners 21 on the top surface and bottom surface of the neck flotation device 1 near the disconnected ends 17 as shown in FIG. 6. The handles 8 provide a convenient method to maneuver the child in the pool of water 5. Maneuvering the child by way of the handles 8 affords therapeutic manipulation to increase sensory stimulation. The neck flotation device 1 is constructed from a flexible material such as a clear plastic to enable the child to see his hands and feet below the neck flotation device 1 in the water. Enabling the child to see his hands during water therapy promotes neuromuscular development such as eye hand coordination which is crucial for the overall physical development of the child. The neck flotation device 1 may be constructed in various sizes to accommodate children of varying weights. In determining the proper size the inside circumference is the distance around the circular opening 14 created by connecting the top and bottom of the neck flotation device 1 and the outside diameter is the distance across the top of the neck flotation device 1 from one outside edge to another of the neck flotation device 1. For example, an extra small neck flotation device 1 would fit infants from 7-10 pounds body weight and have an inside circumference of 8 inches and an outside top inflatable circular bladder 15 diameter of 13 inches. A small neck flotation device 1 would fit children of 10-20 pounds body weight and have an inside circumference of 11 inches and an outside top inflatable circular bladder 15 diameter of 16 inches. A large neck flotation device 1 would be appropriate for children weighing between 20-40 pounds body weight and have an inside circumference of 12.5 inches and an outside top inflatable circular bladder 15 diameter of 17 inches. An extra large neck flotation device would fit a child of 40-75 pounds in body weight and have an inside circumference of 13 inches and an outside top inflatable circular bladder 15 diameter of 19 inches. The invention disclosed herein is an improvement over prior art in that a child with delayed neuromuscular development has a neck size disproportionate to their head circumference due to inherent reduced muscle tone that accompanies delayed neuromuscular development.

Other embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Those other embodiments, even though not specifically disclosed herein are encompassed within the specification and the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A method for the treatment of children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development comprising steps for:

assembling a collapsible therapy tank;

filling said tank with warm water;

attaching a neck flotation device around the child's neck;

immersing the child in said tank filled with warm water so that the child is suspended vertically in said tank of water with said child's head above the surface of the water;

allowing the child unrestrained movement in said tank of water;

whereby said child's muscle strength, coordination, range of motion and lung function are improved.

2. The method for the treatment of children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development as defined in claim 1 wherein said water is heated to a temperature of approximately 92-94 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. The method for the treatment of children suffering from conditions or disease which cause delayed neuromuscular development as defined in claim 1 wherein said water is unchlorinated.

4. The method for the treatment of children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development as defined in claim 1 wherein said condition or disease which cause delayed neuromuscular development is selected from a group consisting of: Spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, infantile spasms, trisomies, traumatic brain injury, acute brain injury, infection, skeletal muscular imbalance, hemilegia, neonatal stroke, Down's syndrome, holoprosencephaly, seizure disorder, visual disorders, hearing impairment, failure to thrive, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, global delay syndrome, hypoxia, anoxia, shoulder dystocia, mitochondrial disease, Walker Warburg syndrome, lennox-gastaut syndrome, pachygria, hypotonia, skull fracture, chromosomal disorders, hydroencephaly, torticollis, Aicardi's syndrome, scoliosis, pediatric osteoporosis, frozen hip syndrome, hip dysplasia, Cri Du Chat, Wolf Hirschorn syndrome, muscular dystrophy, septo-opyic dysplasia, Zellwegers syndrome, Canavan, static encephalopathy, Prader-Willi syndrome, optic nerve hypoplasia, schizencephaly, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, biotin responsive basal ganglia disease, Lesch Nyhan, hemiparesis, congenital disorders of glycosylation, epilepsy, macrocephaly, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, clubbed feet, arthrogryposis, megalencephaly, Potocki-Shaffer syndrome, brain tumor, development coordination disorder, Charge syndrome, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

5. An inflatable neck flotation device to be worn around a child's neck to raise the child's head above the surface of a tank of water for water therapy of children suffering from conditions and diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development comprising:

a top circular inflatable bladder and a bottom inflatable circular bladder to form a neck flotation device which is not a completely enclosed circle;

said neck flotation device having a top surface and a bottom surface;

said top inflatable circular bladder is approximately 15% smaller in volume than said bottom inflatable circular bladder causing said bottom inflatable circular bladder to be commensurately larger in size than said top inflatable circular bladder;

an inflatable shelf of approximately 1.5 inches in width extending around the interior circumference of said neck flotation device and located approximately midway between the said top surface and bottom surface of said neck flotation device;

a horizontal indentation in said shelf equidistant between and opposite of said opening in said neck flotation device flotation device bladder to accommodate a child's chin;

two handles affixed to the top surface of said neck flotation device in which each handle is positioned to be on opposite sides of the neck flotation device and to be out of visual field of the child;

an inflation/deflation port on the top of said top circular inflatable bladder;

an inflation/deflation port on the bottom of said bottom inflatable circular bladder;

an adjustable fastener on the top surface of said neck flotation device to close said opening in said neck flotation device;

an adjustable fastener on the bottom surface of said neck flotation device to close the opening of said neck flotation device;

a circular opening created by closing the space in said neck flotation device;

Whereby said top inflatable circular bladder and bottom inflatable circular bladder part forms a neck flotation device which supports the child's head above the surface of the water and permits the child to be suspended vertically in said tank of water for the improvement of neuromuscular coordination, muscle tone, lung function and range of motion.

6. The neck flotation device described in claim 4 wherein said inflatable collar is constructed from clear flexible plastic.

7. The neck flotation device for the treatment of children suffering from conditions or diseases which cause delayed neuromuscular development as defined in claim 4 wherein said condition or disease which cause delayed neuromuscular development is selected from a group consisting of: Spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, infantile spasms, dystonia, lissencephaly, Miller Deiker Syndrome, microencephaly, hydraencephaly, trisomies, traumatic brain injury, acute brain injury, infection, skeletal muscular imbalance, hemilegia, neonatal stroke, Down's syndrome, holoprosencephaly, seizure disorder, visual disorders, hearing impairment, failure to thrive, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, global delay syndrome, hypoxia, anoxia, shoulder dystocia, mitochondrial disease, Walker Warburg syndrome, lennox-gastaut syndrome, pachygria, hypotonia, skull fracture, chromosomal disorders, hydroencephaly, torticollis, Aicardi's syndrome, scoliosis, pediatric osteoporosis, frozen hip syndrome, hip dysplasia, Cri Du Chat, Wolf Hirschorn syndrome, muscular dystrophy, septo-opyic dysplasia, Zellwegers syndrome, Canavan, static encephalopathy, Prader-Willi syndrome, optic nerve hypoplasia, schizencephaly, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, biotin responsive basal ganglia disease, Lesch Nyhan, hemiparesis, congenital disorders of glycosylation, epilepsy, macrocephaly, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, clubbed feet, arthrogryposis, megalencephaly, Potocki-Shaffer syndrome, brain tumor, development coordination disorder, Charge syndrome, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.