Learning About Early Mobility for Children in the PICU

Most young children naturally want to move and play. But if your child is in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a hospital, moving around can be difficult. Early mobility is a treatment approach that helps your child safely move as much as possible while they’re in the PICU.

Moving their bodies helps children stay healthy, happy, and growing. Lying in bed or being sedated (taking medicines to make them sleepy) for much of the time can cause health problems like:

• Weak muscles and stiff joints.
• Bedsores (damaged, inflamed skin) from lying in one spot.
• Blood clots.
• Bowel problems like constipation.
• Lung problems like pneumonia.
• Delirium (feeling confused or scared).
• Sadness and anxiety.
• Poor sleep.

These problems can slow down recovery and add to the time your child needs to stay in the hospital. Some children even have problems with their physical strength, thinking, or mood for weeks or months after going home. This is called post-intensive care syndrome (PICS).

Early mobility will look different for every child. Your child’s care team will make a plan for what your child can safely do. That plan will be based on your child's age, overall health, and any illnesses or injuries they have.

For some children, early mobility may simply mean changing positions in bed, stretching, or moving their arms and legs with help. Others may sit up in bed, sit in a chair, play with toys, stand, or walk with assistance. For babies and young children, other ways to move can include being held by a parent or caregiver, reaching for toys, rolling over, or playing.

If your child needs medical equipment—like a breathing machine, intravenous (I.V.) line, or heart monitor—the care team can adjust it during activity to make sure it’s safe.

No matter what level of mobility your child starts at, the goal is to gradually add more movement to your child's day.