ABSTRACT
Aim: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of parent-delivered elastic taping to the thumb and wrist in infants with cerebral palsy (CP).Design: Randomized cross-over feasibility trial.Participants: 20 infants (11 male; mean age 22 months) with CP.Intervention: Groups A and B received taping for 4 and 2 weeks, respectively.Outcomes: Primary: Recruitment and retention rates; adherence to protocol; Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire. Secondary: House Thumb score; Zancolli classification; Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA)/mini AHA. Exploratory: Duration of hand regard, thumb in palm, and open hand contact with toys during AHA/mini AHA.Results: Recruitment was feasible (95.2% uptake). Completion rates were 80% and 60% in Groups A and B. Questionnaire feedback was generally positive. Some parents reported increased awareness of the taped hand. Objective improvements were rare though one participant showed consistent improvement in thumb position.Conclusion: Taping proved feasible and acceptable; individual case benefit suggests further research is required.Trial registration: ISRCTN41918400.
