That feeling that \u201csomething doesn\u2019t fit\u201d…<\/p> \n \n
As professionals in child development, we\u2019ve all experienced that moment.<\/p> \n \n
The baby seems healthy. Neurological tests are within expectations. But something doesn\u2019t fit: <\/p> \n\n
And then comes the question that can make the difference in your approach:<\/p> \n \n
Am I taking the vestibular system into account in my evaluation?<\/strong><\/p>
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\n The vestibular system is the first functional sensory system in intrauterine life<\/strong>, active from the 8th week of gestation. It is deeply involved in the organization of tone, balance, posture, visual coordination, and emotional regulation. <\/p>
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\n However, it remains one of the most overlooked systems in the clinical evaluation of babies.<\/p>
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\n How many times do we dismiss the vestibular system because there is no visible injury or an established vestibular diagnosis?<\/p>
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\n How many times do we assume its function is preserved\u2026 simply because the baby does not present spontaneous nystagmus or an obvious balance alteration?<\/p>
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\n Recent studies show that early signs of vestibular dysfunction in babies<\/strong> may be present even in the absence of structural lesions<\/strong>. These signs include: <\/p>
\n\n In a quasi-experimental study on babies with neurological risk, early vestibular stimulation significantly improved head control, visual fixation, and postural tolerance (Trejo-Torres et al., 2019).<\/p>
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\n On the other hand, research such as that of Rine et al. (2024) emphasizes that early vestibular rehabilitation in pediatrics<\/strong> improves not only balance but also overall coordination, even in populations without an established vestibular diagnosis. <\/p>
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\n Not integrating vestibular evaluation in babies entails a significant clinical risk:<\/p>
\n\n And above all: we may lose the opportunity to offer the baby a more organized, stable, and harmonious development.<\/strong><\/p>
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\n At TMPI, we propose an integrative sensory-motor approach from the very first contact with the baby:<\/p>
\n\n We can no longer wait for the baby to \u201cmature on their own.\u201d<\/p>
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\n The vestibular system is not just a channel for balance.<\/p>
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\n It is a central organizing system<\/strong> for motor, sensory, and emotional development.<\/p>
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\n And you, as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, optometrist, or speech therapist, can make a difference if you integrate it from the start.<\/strong><\/p>
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\n At PIMT we train professionals who know how to see beyond the diagnosis.<\/p>
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\n Who know how to listen with the body, with the eyes\u2026 and with science.<\/p>
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\n Are you interested in training in sensory evaluation from the first months of life?<\/p>
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\n Do you want to deepen your knowledge of vestibular function from real clinical practice?<\/p>
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\n Then this is your place.<\/p>
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\n Because when you start to look differently, you also start to intervene differently.<\/p>
\nA primitive but key system<\/strong><\/h2>
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What the evidence (and the clinic) tells us<\/strong><\/h2>
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The risk of not looking<\/strong><\/h2>
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How to start looking?<\/strong><\/h2>
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A paradigm shift<\/strong><\/h2>
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Scientific references:<\/strong><\/h3>
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Are you part of the change?<\/strong><\/h2>
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