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Published on: September 21, 2017
Use of external orthotic helmet therapy in positional plagiocephaly
Joyce P K Ho1, Kylie-Ann Mallitt2, Erica Jacobson3
1Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW, Australia; Department of Neurosurgery, Sydney Children's Hospital, High Street, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Insights
Helmet therapy may effectively treat positional plagiocephaly, a common infant head shape issue. Infants receiving helmet therapy showed greater improvement in cranial asymmetry compared to those without helmets.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cranial Orthotics
Background:
- Positional plagiocephaly is the most common infant cranial asymmetry.
- Early intervention is key for managing infant head shape deformities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of helmet therapy versus no helmet therapy for positional plagiocephaly in infants under one year.
- To compare treatment outcomes based on cranial measurements.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 171 infants at an Australian pediatric hospital.
- Analysis of positional plagiocephaly scores and diagonal head measurements.
- Comparison between infants who received helmet therapy and those who did not.
Main Results:
- Infants undergoing helmet therapy demonstrated a statistically significant greater reduction in diagonal head difference (p=0.011).
- Helmet therapy showed a positive correlation with improved outcomes in cranial asymmetry.
Conclusions:
- Helmet therapy may be a beneficial treatment option for infants with severe positional plagiocephaly.
- Further research could explore optimal timing and duration for helmet interventions.
Abstract:
Positional plagiocephaly is the most common type of cranial asymmetry affecting infants. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of helmet therapy compared to no helmet therapy in treating positional plagiocephaly in infants under the age of 1year. This retrospective review was conducted in an Australian paediatric hospital and included 171 patients recruited from outpatient clinics. Only 30 patients had positional plagiocephaly scores recorded at first and final consultations while 39 patients had diagonal measurements recorded at both visits. The mean age was 7.38months at initial consultation with a mean follow-up duration of 5.85months. Those who had helmet therapy had a significantly greater reduction in diagonal difference than those who did not use helmets (p=0.011). Therefore, there may be a role for helmet therapy in the treatment of severe positional plagiocephaly.
