Plagiocephaly

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the occurrence and severity of deformational plagiocephaly among infants. METHODS: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was done in the pediatric ward of a tertiary care hospital between April 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022. Cranial Vault Asymmetry Index (CVAI) and Argenta Clinical Classification were applied to consecutive infants aged 1 month to 1 year till the calculated sample size was achieved. RESULTS: 67 infants were recruited and the occurrence of deformational plagiocephaly in the sample was estimated to be 46...

Background  With the advent of cranial orthoses as therapeutic medical devices for the treatment of severe positional head deformities in Japan, an increasing number of patients are being treated with them. However, assessing the effectiveness of a treatment is often difficult due to the use of different metrics. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cranial orthoses for deformational plagiocephaly using two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) evaluation metrics. Methods  We conducted a retrospective study of infant patients with deformational plagiocephaly who underwent cranial orthosis treatment...

INTRODUCTION: The American Academy of Pediatrics Back-to-Sleep Campaign significantly reduced infant mortality from sudden infant death syndrome. As a result of prolonged supine positioning, the incidence of deformational plagiocephaly has also risen 5-fold since its adoption. We aimed to improve the current educational paradigm for new parents with the goal of reducing the incidence of plagiocephaly within the confines of the Back-to-Sleep Campaign. We hypothesized that the early addition of plagiocephaly focused education for parents would reduce cephalic index, the ratio of head width to length, used as an easily measured objective proxy for positional plagiocephaly...

Positional cranial deformities are associated with prematurity evolving during the first 2 years of life due to the malleable characteristics of the skull, the first year being the main/primary therapeutic window for intervention. The objectives were (a) to describe health characteristics, peri- and postnatal pathologies, and positional cranial deformities in infants enrolled in an early intervention program and (b) to analyze the effects of a parent education-based intervention program on positional cranial deformity in premature infants...

PURPOSE: To provide additional information on optimal start times and therapeutic effectiveness based on treatment outcome of Japanese infants with positional plagio- and brachycephaly (PPB) receiving cranial molding helmet therapy (CMHT). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, data from a 3D head scanning system was analyzed from 2173 Japanese infants who completed CMHT. Anterior and posterior symmetry ratio (ASR and PSR) and longitudinal to transverse diagonal ratios (LD/TDR) were calculated based on skull shape at helmet design and at completion of therapy...

This study analyzed the paleopathological conditions of a 30-year-old male unearthed at the site of Ya'amun in northern Jordan. The skeleton was dated back to Iron age. The paleopathological examinations were performed using macroscopic and radiological analyses. The results revealed multiple significant bone lesions, including periosteal osteosarcoma of the right femur, plagiocephaly, asymmetry of the sacrum, vertebral fractures, anemia, and osteoarthritis. This case represents the first example of neoplasm and plagiocephaly in the Iron Age of the region...

BACKGROUND: Head shape problems are common in infancy and early childhood, and thus their early identification and management can benefit the health of children. This study aimed to investigate pediatric healthcare professionals' existing knowledge of children's head shape abnormalities and their associated effects in China, providing guidelines for future clinical interventions, training, and interdisciplinary collaboration. METHODS: We conducted a survey among pediatric medical staff, encompassing various age groups, genders, hospitals, and professional levels...

This study aimed to assess the prevalence, severity, and natural history of positional posterior plagiocephaly (PPP) and positional posterior brachycephaly in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric patients, ranging from 0 to 15 years old, evaluated for head trauma with negative computed tomography (CT) findings. The cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) was calculated using CT images at the superior orbital rim. Asymmetry according to CVAI values was subcategorized as follows: mild (3.5%-7%), moderate (7%-12%), and severe (>12%)...

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of helmet therapy on plagiocephaly, according to head circumference, cephalic index (CI), and skull height. Plagiocephaly is a condition in which the skull is congenitally asymmetrical or affected by acquired factors such as compression in the womb or the habit of sleeping on one side. Although there are numerous studies on the effectiveness of helmet therapy for plagiocephaly, research on its effectiveness on skull shape is lacking. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study on 400 patients who underwent helmet therapy...

OBJECTIVE: Provide data on a cross-sectional study of neurodevelopmental delays (NDD) in patients with positional skull deformities (PSD), based on severity and gender, in early childhood. METHODS: Neurodevelopment of 449 patients with PSD, with an age range of 3 to 59 months, was assessed with Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) tests during and after their cranial orthotic treatment. Data obtained were compared with the anthropometric measurements taken the same day the test was made, and results were grouped by diagnosis and severity, segmented by age group, and split by gender...

OBJECTIVE: Anterior plagiocephaly is a condition in which the unicoronal suture is prematurely fused and the skull shape will change due to asymmetric growth. METHODS: This is a retrospective study describing the unilateral limited frontal osteotomy for remodeling deformed areas in the frontal and orbital bone and its pros and cons. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 16.8 (±11.7) months. Mean intraoperative bleeding was 78...

AIM: While deformational plagiocephaly (DP) is suspected to be associated with comorbidities, their nature and prevalence are unclear. This scoping review aims to report DP comorbidities occurring until the age of 2 years, their prevalence and whether they depend on the child's age and sex. METHODS: Relevant studies were identified by searching the Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and EBSCO databases from 1992 to 30 April 2021. Data on study characteristics, comorbidities and assessment instruments were extracted and qualitatively synthesised...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of using mustard seed filled pillows in preventing deformational plagiocephaly (DP) in premature infants. METHODS: A prospective open label randomized trial was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in south India. Eligible preterm infants born at ≤32 weeks and <1500 g admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. In addition to standard nesting, the intervention group was positioned using a mustard pillow, while the control group was positioned using nesting alone...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of helmet therapy for deformational plagiocephaly in patients with shunted hydrocephalus. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Institutional, tertiary-care hospital. PATIENTS: All patients at St. Louis Children's Hospital between 2014 and 2021 with shunted hydrocephalus who underwent helmet therapy for deformational plagiocephaly. INTERVENTIONS: Helmet therapy...

BACKGROUND: Posterior synostotic plagiocephaly (PSP) impacts craniofacial skeleton. Study quantifies facial changes in children with PSP to investigate the impact of age and PSP severity at diagnosis on the facial dysmorphology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: High-resolution preoperative CT images of 22 infants with PSP were analyzed. They were divided according to the early or late age at time of diagnosis. Each group was further subdivided according to the severity of PSP evaluated by the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI): mild-moderate PSP (CVAI between 3 and 12%) and severe PSP (CVAI > 12%)...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate regarding the effect of race and socioeconomic status (SES) on the timing of cleft lip and/or palate (CL ± P), craniosynostosis, and plagiocephaly presentation to clinic and possible repair. DESIGN/METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with CL ± P and head shape conditions from Jan 2001 to Feb 2022 were included. Age at first plastic surgery clinic appointment, age at repair if applicable, gender, race, and zip code were collected...

BACKGROUND: The use of helmet treatment for positional plagiocephaly has increased recently; however, its effect is unknown in Korea. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of helmet therapy and identify its influencing factors. METHODS: Ninety pediatric patients diagnosed with moderate to severe positional plagiocephaly received helmet therapy. Severity of moderate to severe positional plagiocephaly was defined as cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) > 10 mm or CVA index (CVAI) >6%...

AIM: To establish the prevalence of positional head deformations (PHDs) within a neonatal unit (NU) setting, and to evaluate the subsequent impact that PHDs have on NU graduates and their families. METHODS: A prospective audit was conducted over a six-week period within a tertiary NU (Brisbane, Australia). Eligible babies were measured weekly using a craniometer where presence, type and severity of PHD were determined. Univariate analysis was undertaken to establish differences in clinical characteristics between babies with, and without, the presence of PHD...

Positional cranial deformities are a common finding in toddlers, yet differentiation from craniosynostosis can be challenging. The aim of this study was to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to classify craniofacial deformities based on 2D images generated using photogrammetry as a radiation-free imaging technique. A total of 487 patients with photogrammetry scans were included in this retrospective cohort study: children with craniosynostosis (n = 227), positional deformities (n = 206), and healthy children (n = 54)...

CONTEXT: Deformational plagiocephaly (DP) is on the rise in pediatric patients. The current standard of care recommended for management is repositioning with possible addition of cranial orthoses. However, strong data are lacking to support these recommendations. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is another treatment option for DP that is also lacking evidential support. OBJECTIVES: This retrospective chart review study investigated the effects of OMT at restoring a more symmetrical cranial bone configuration in children with DP...