Live Webinar for Neonatal Therapists. Complete all four days for 12 Contact Hours (1.2 CEUs)
October 6, 8, 13 and 15, 2025
5:40 pm EST
EARLY BIRD RATE!
Register by August 25, 2025 to receive $20 off your registration. Enter coupon code EARLYBIRD20 at checkout to receive the discount. Must be used at time of registration.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Medically complex and extremely premature infants have a greater survivability rate with advances in maternal/fetal medicine and NICU medical technology. Effective developmental interventions require the neonatal therapist to understand embryological, maturation, and developmental impacts of these medical conditions with adaptations to manual therapy techniques to improve alignment and movement for the infants. This course will build on information from Baby Beats and Breaths but could be a stand-alone course for the seasoned clinician. Evidence based literature will be provided on development of movement, manual therapy techniques to promote ribcage/abdominal, upper airway, and segmental trunk control as infant transition away from positioning devices and require activation of postural control muscles. Information will be shared on neonatal therapy interventions for the medically complex infant requiring ECMO, CRRT, PD, and early mobilization techniques.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Identify the impact of prematurity on musculoskeletal development and maturation.
- Correlate the maturation of infant reflexes, synergies, and/or planes of movement to motor skill development in premature infants.
- Assess alignment of the infant spine during positioning and handling.
- Demonstrate handling techniques to support optimal alignment for segmental spinal positioning
- Adapt the environment and/or handling interventions to reduce stress cues during motor interventions.
- Choose appropriate positioning or environmental adaptations to facilitate improved participation with daily tasks.
AUDIENCE:
This course is recommended for neonatal therapists, PTs, PTAs, OTs, OTAs, and SLPs, working with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS, has worked in pediatrics for the past 28 years with the past 17 years in a level IV NICU. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist, Certified Brain Injury therapist, a member of National Association of Neonatal Therapists, and has completed 6-month mentorship in infant/child NDT.
She has worked within the NICU and NICU follow-up clinic to maximize patient and family outcomes for the most complex premature and medically-fragile term infants. Holly received her BS in OT from the University of North Dakota. She is a faculty member for the Neonatal Touch and Massage certification; and Manuel Edema Mobilization training. She is the recipient of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists Clinical Excellence award in 2018, due to her clinical expertise and dedication to advancing the therapeutic interventions for NICU infants with cardiopulmonary conditions.
Financial Disclosures: Holly Schifsky receives a speaking fee when she teaches for ERI.
Non-Financial Disclosures: Holly Schifsky has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.
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