As of 2019, every year globally, an estimated 15 million babies are born too soon, which is greater than one in ten infants, and the complications arising due to prematurity claim the lives of almost 1 million children. 2.7% of the 13 million live births out of the 15 million preterm births each year worldwide have moderate or severe neurological involvement and 4.4% have mild neurological involvement as stated by WHO. In India 3,341,000 premature births occur each year, and 361,600 under-five deaths are directly due to preterm complications. 

Essential new-born care as well as basic care for feeding support, infections, and breathing difficulties can mean the difference between life and death for preterm babies and by enhancing treatment for premature children, we can better handle the challenges brought on by their immaturity and their eventual evolutionary prognosis. For a better prognosis for high-risk neonates, diagnostic and therapeutic methods are used in the NICU.

 These techniques include percussion, vibration, aspiration, stimulating cough, postural drainage, positioning (as a part of chest physiotherapy), massage therapy, gentle joint compressions, tactile kinaesthetic stimulation, passive range of motion exercises (as a part of neuromuscular physiotherapy) Oro-motor stimulation techniques (stroking or applying pressure to the cheeks, lips, jaw, tongue, palate, and gums, as well as non-nutritive suction from a pacifier, in the peri- and intra-oral regions) and promote Kangaroo Mother care.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a specialized unit created for new-borns who are ill, unstable, and who need medical care.Holistic care must incorporate a multidisciplinary team approach (which includes paediatricians, nurses, and physiotherapists). To improve the prognosis of premature babies in NICU, Physiotherapy plays a major role. Paediatric physiotherapy has advanced to include neonatal physiotherapy. Because of this, physiotherapists who work in neonatal care settings like the NICU and intermediate care facilities need to have advanced clinical skills. The physiotherapist carries out a customized program from cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular physiotherapy approaches which is suitable for the gestational age of the premature baby, and acute complications faced by preterm infants, supporting neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental, according to the needs of the baby, while involving the parents in the process with family education.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the physiotherapists who are involved in NICU, are aware of the necessary therapy and guidelines for the treatment of acute complications of preterm infants and whether these guidelines are being followed and performed routinely in the NICU setup.