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Neurodevelopmental delays in children with deformational plagiocephaly
Rouzbeh K Kordestani1, Shaurin Patel, David E Bard
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. shark4rk@aol.com
Insights
Infants with deformational plagiocephaly show significant cognitive and psychomotor developmental delays compared to peers. No infants in the study demonstrated accelerated development, highlighting potential early intervention needs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric developmental assessment
- Neurology
- Public health
Background:
- Deformational plagiocephaly, a common condition in infants without synostosis, warrants investigation for potential developmental impacts.
- Previous research in 2001 suggested developmental concerns, necessitating further study.
- Understanding developmental trajectories in infants with plagiocephaly is crucial for early intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if infants with deformational plagiocephaly exhibit cognitive and psychomotor developmental delays compared to a standardized population.
- To build upon prior findings regarding developmental outcomes in this patient group.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 110 infants with deformational plagiocephaly was prospectively followed and retrospectively reviewed.
- The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II was used to assess mental and psychomotor development.
- Developmental outcomes were categorized (accelerated, normal, mild delay, severe delay) and compared to age-matched standardized data using chi-square tests.
Main Results:
- Infants with deformational plagiocephaly showed statistically significant delays in both mental (p < 0.0001) and psychomotor (p < 0.0001) development.
- No infants presented with accelerated development; 90% had normal mental scores, 7% mild, and 3% severe delays.
- Psychomotor scores revealed no accelerated development; 74% were normal, 19% mildly delayed, and 7% severely delayed.
Conclusions:
- Infants with deformational plagiocephaly exhibit significant pre-intervention delays in mental and psychomotor development.
- The absence of accelerated development in any affected infant underscores the developmental impact of this condition.
- Findings emphasize the importance of monitoring and potential early intervention for cognitive and motor skills in infants with plagiocephaly.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in fact, infants with deformational plagiocephaly, or plagiocephaly without synostosis, demonstrated cognitive and psychomotor developmental delays when compared with a standardized population. Through this study, we chose to expand upon our earlier findings from 2001 on patients with deformational plagiocephaly.
Methods:
The study population includes a total of 110 consecutive patients, prospectively followed then retrospectively reviewed. Each infant was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II scoring system. The developmental analysis was categorized as either mental or psychomotor using the mental developmental index or the psychomotor developmental index, respectively. These infants were subcategorized into four groups: accelerated, normal, mild, or severely delayed. The groups were then compared with a standardized Bayley's age-matched population, using chi-square test goodness-of-fit tests.
Results:
Infants with deformational plagiocephaly were found to have significantly different psychomotor development indexes and mental developmental indexes when compared with the standardized population (p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001). With regards to the mental developmental index scores, none of the infants with deformational plagiocephaly were accelerated, 90 percent were normal, 7 percent were mildly delayed, and 3 percent were severely delayed. With regards to the psychomotor development index scores, none of infants were accelerated, 74 percent were normal, 19 percent were mildly delayed, and 7 percent were severely delayed.
Conclusions:
This study indicates that before any intervention, infants with deformational plagiocephaly show significant delays in both mental and psychomotor development. Also of particular note is that no child with deformational plagiocephaly showed accelerated development.
