Baby steps don’t always come easy for children with cerebral palsy and other developmental challenges, but United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Arizona is hoping zero-gravity assistance may help. This spring, the organization will become the first clinical setting in the U.S. to offer BabyG, a balance and gait trainer that allows a child to move while suspended in a harness over a robotic track.
The trainer is designed to provide security and fall protection as children develop the ability to crawl, stand and walk at their own pace. UCP occupational therapist Valerie Pieraccini says it’s a game changer.
“Children under the age of 3 years old are in a period of developmental neuroplasticity, when the old adage ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’ applies to the developing parts of a young child’s neural network,” she says. “Children with cerebral palsy, rare disorders or genetic disorders that result in a motor disorder often do not have the opportunity to move and play like their peers.”
