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Serial developmental assessments in infants with deformational plagiocephaly
B Lynne Hutchison1, Alistair W Stewart, Tristan de Chalain
1The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. bl.hutchison@auckland.ac.nz
Insights
Infants with deformational plagiocephaly showed initial developmental delays, primarily in gross motor skills. These delays improved significantly by 12 months, suggesting most children with positional plagiocephaly catch up over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric developmental assessment
- Infant neurodevelopmental outcomes
Background:
- Positional plagiocephaly is associated with developmental concerns.
- Longitudinal data on developmental persistence in these infants is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate developmental outcomes in infants with deformational plagiocephaly over a one-year period.
- To determine if early developmental delays persist in this population.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal cohort study of 126 infants with deformational plagiocephaly.
- Development assessed using parent-completed Ages and Stages Questionnaires at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months.
- Standardized scoring of developmental domains was employed.
Main Results:
- Initial developmental delays were present in 30% of infants, peaking at 42% at 3 months.
- By 12 months, the prevalence of delays decreased to 23%.
- Gross motor delays were most common; maternal tertiary education correlated with persistent delays.
Conclusions:
- Infants with deformational plagiocephaly experience significant early developmental delays, particularly in gross motor skills.
- These delays largely resolve by 12 months of follow-up.
- Most infants with positional plagiocephaly achieve expected developmental milestones by late infancy.
Aim:
An association between positional plagiocephaly and developmental problems has previously been noted, but whether delays persist over time has not been established. This study aimed to determine developmental outcomes for children with deformational plagiocephaly over 1 year of follow up.
Methods:
This was a longitudinal cohort study of 126 infants with deformational plagiocephaly recruited at an outpatient clinic. Development was assessed with the parent-completed Ages and Stages Questionnaires at recruitment and repeated at follow-up assessments in the home 3, 6 and 12 months later. Questionnaires were scored according to cut-off scores from the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition.
Results:
Ninety-six percent of children were followed up for the full 12 months. The existence of one or more delays initially was 30%; this rose to 42% at the 3-month follow up then dropped back to 23% by the 12-month follow up. Delays were predominantly in the gross motor domain. Ten percent had > 4 delays in total over the four assessments. Mothers with tertiary education were more likely to have infants showing delays that persisted over time.
Conclusions:
Infants with deformational plagiocephaly exhibited marked delays especially in early infancy. These delays were largely gross motor in type but had reduced to approach the expected level by the time of the 12-month follow up, at a mean age of 17 months.
