Infant Services
Trust. Play. Grow
Occupational Therapy for Infants
You may be thinking how does an infant have an occupation? Even though infants are so young and vulnerable their brains are developing at a rapid pace as they are introduced to new places, people, and sensory experiences. They sleep most of the time so their brain can make sense of all the external and internal experiences throughout the day. During sleep their brain is organizing by growing and developing new pathways. An occupational of an infant may be less obvious but they still have many.
Occupations of an Infant
Eating
Voiding
Learning to interact with their environment
Moving their bodies
Reacting to their caregivers
Forming attachments to their caregivers
Playing
Learning how to integrate sensory information such as noise, sight, touch, taste, smell, balance, and body awareness
How Occupational Therapy Can Help Your Baby
Develop trust with parents
Helping baby bond and attach to parents
Teach CO-REGULATION between infant and parents
Begin promoting SELF-REGULATION through calming touch and movement
Baby wearing assessment and fitting to help your baby feel secure and provide movement input for brain development
Passive movement to stimulate healthy development
Visually tracking objects and people
Promote healthy sleep habits in infancy
Breast or bottle feeding
All babies develop at their own pace however if you feel your baby is falling behind in developmental milestones please reach out for a FREE screen to determine if OT would benefit your baby.
Click HERE to be directed to pathways.org to review develop at every age.
Occupational therapists are trained in sensory development. Through clinical observation, caregiver report, and standardized assessment we can help you bond with your baby, figure out best ways to soothe your baby, which handling/holding positions your baby prefers, how to provide calming touch for your baby and much more.
Click HERE to read about red flags for sensory processing
What is Sensory Processing? Click HERE
When to Contact Us
Most importantly, if you feel something is just not right. Caregivers know BEST and if your intuition is speaking to you, please don’t ignore it. Therapists at pediatric village are trained to help an infant and their caregivers adjust to life outside the womb and all the challenges that may come up.
If your baby is difficult to soothe or put to sleep (compared to other babies their age)
Difficult to calm in new situations
Infants demonstrate basic reflexes which are essential in their development and their survival. Each reflex serves a purpose and are part of normal development. However, if a reflex is still present passed the appropriate age for use, they may need intervention to help with integration. Click HERE to learn more about reflexes.
Motor impairments
Doesn’t seem to be interested in their surroundings
A baby that feel very easy or very hard (they can be other things going on that would benefit from intervention)
Infants that have been hospitalized, especially for an extended period
Infants born with a chromosomal anomalies (kick start healthy development with your baby by learning things you can do now as a parent to enhance their development, relationships/attachments and sensory processing.
Premature infants
Infants that are medically complex and immunocompromised
Infants transitioning from tube feeds to bottle or breast.