ArticleBMC pediatrics2026
Practice-informed barriers and contextual solutions in neonatal habilitation across Indian Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A qualitative exploration of therapists' perspectives.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Triangulating evidence, expertise, and maternal experience to design a gestational age-specific stimulation protocol for preterm infants in indian neonatal intensive care units.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPreterm infants are at high risk for neurodevelopmental delays, and hence habilitation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in a timely manner is a priority. In India, however, standardized habilitation pathways are underdeveloped, and the role of neonatal therapists, particularly physiotherapists is discrepant and ill-defined. There is scarce literature from the ground-level perception of therapists on providing structured development care, especially in resource-limited NICU settings. This study aims to explore therapist-informed barriers and context-specific solutions affecting the provision of habilitation services for preterm infants in Indian NICUs.
methodsThis qualitative study follows a constructivist paradigm. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 NICU physiotherapists from diverse backgrounds across India. Thematic analysis was performed with Braun and Clarke's six-phase reflexive framework. Codes were inductively established and themes iteratively refined.
resultsThe two overall themes were: (1) Practice-Informed Barriers, including fractured professional identity, institutional bounds, poor training, and maternal disempowerment; and (2) Therapist-Driven Solutions, consisting of mother-inclusive graduated engagement, culture-congruent approaches, streamlined gestational protocols, and urgent appeals for curriculum and policy change. The therapists portrayed the necessity for habilitation practices to be salient, collaborative, and consistent with Indian contextual realities.
conclusionDespite systemic constraints, Indian NICU physiotherapists reflect adaptive, culturally appropriate approaches to facilitate early habilitation. Overcoming structural barriers and institutionalization of therapist roles in interdisciplinary NICU teams are essential steps toward equitable and developmentally beneficial care for preterm infants. These findings provide a foundational input into the development of India-specific early stimulation protocols based on practice realities.
trial registrationThe trial has been registered under Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2025/02/081483) on February 28 2025.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.