EFFECTS OF AQUATIC PHYSIOTHERAPY ON RETT SYNDROME

Abstract

Rett syndrome is a rare, progressive neurological disease that causes a mutation in the MECP2 gene located on the X chromosome. It mainly affects female children, but there are also cases of male children. The first clinical signs appear around the 6th to the 18th month of life and bring some consequences for its carriers, such as postnatal growth retardation between 5 months to 4 years of age, partial or complete loss of speech, stereotyped hand movements, impaired cognition, communication, respiratory irregularities and frequent seizures. The work aims to demonstrate the effects of physical therapy intervention in Rett Syndrome, through aquatic physiotherapy, describing about it and showing the resources that are most effective for the treatment. It was noticed that although there was no progression in the pathology, there was an improvement in the patient's life, which through hydrotherapy manages to maintain or increase motor skills, reduce or prevent deformities, develop or maintain transition skills and have a better quality of life. Therefore, the work of the physiotherapist is essential, therefore, it is now necessary to develop new studies on the subject, given that the material is scarce. For the present study, a bibliographic review on the theme was used, with renowned authors, from websites to physical books available at the present University