Benefits of TREINI on functional goals of children with myelomeningocele

Abstract

Introduction: Children with myelomeningocele (MMC) often experience limitations that affect their daily activities and family routines. Understanding parental priorities and applying effective interventions is essential to promote functional gains and satisfaction. Objective: To characterize the functional goals of children with MMC, organize them according to the F-words framework, and evaluate the effects of the TREINI Program on the improvement in these functional goals. Methods: A non-randomized pilot study was conducted involving 26 children (ages 2-14) with MMC. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was used to characterize functional goals and evaluate the benefits of the TREINI program. The protocol consisted of training functional goals in a naturalistic environment combined with the use of a flexible therapeutic suit, over three months, five times a week, for 3-4 hours per day. Descriptive statistics were used to provide the profile of priorities. Pre- and post-intervention data were analyzed using the paired t-test. Results: A total of 130 goals were established by parents, among which activities of daily living (ADLs), such as functional mobility, dressing, and personal hygiene, were the most frequently set goals. More goals were associated with the terms "function" (45.8%) and "fitness" (37.5%). The TREINI program resulted in significant improvements in performance and satisfaction for most functional priorities (p < 0.05). Conclusion: For parents of children with MMC, ADLs were identified as the main treatment priorities. The TREINI program resulted in significant improvements in the performance of functional goals and increased parental satisfaction.