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[A clinical analysis of 101 infants with plagiocephaly]
1Department of Pediatrics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China. tongxm2007@126.com.
Insights
Plagiocephaly in infants may be linked to supine sleeping positions. Postural correction training effectively improves plagiocephaly, particularly when initiated in early infancy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Biology
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Plagiocephaly, a common condition in infants, involves asymmetrical head shape.
- Understanding its causes and effective treatments is crucial for infant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify potential causes of infant plagiocephaly.
- To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of postural correction training for plagiocephaly.
Main Methods:
- 101 infants diagnosed with plagiocephaly were categorized into three age groups (1-4, 5-8, 9-12 months).
- Causes of plagiocephaly were analyzed across groups.
- Cranial Vault Asymmetry Index (CVAI) was measured before and after postural correction training.
Main Results:
- Supine sleeping position was prevalent (88.1%) but not significantly different across age groups.
- The 1-4 month group showed higher rates of preterm birth, adverse perinatal factors, and congenital muscular torticollis.
- All groups demonstrated significant CVAI reduction post-training (P<0.001), with the youngest group showing greater improvement.
Conclusions:
- Supine sleeping may contribute to plagiocephaly development.
- Adverse perinatal factors, preterm birth, and congenital muscular torticollis are significant contributing factors in early infancy.
- Postural correction training is a highly effective treatment for plagiocephaly, especially in infants diagnosed early.
Objective:
To investigate the possible causes of plagiocephaly in infants and the therapeutic effect of postural correction training on plagiocephaly.
Methods:
A total of 101 infants who were diagnosed with plagiocephaly were enrolled. According to the age at diagnosis, these infants were divided into 1-4 month group (31 infants), 5-8 month group (40 infants), and 9-12 month group (30 infants). The possible causes of plagiocephaly were analyzed in three groups. The cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) before and after postural correction training was compared in three groups.
Results:
Of the 101 infants, 89 (88.1%) had a sleeping posture in the supine position, and there was no significant difference in the percentage of infants with such posture between the three groups. Compared with the 5-8 month group and the 9-12 month group, the 1-4 month group had significantly higher rate of preterm birth, incidence rate of adverse perinatal factors, and incidence rate of congenital muscular torticollis. The three groups showed a significant decrease in CVAI 3 months after postural correction training (P<0.001). Compared with the 5-8 month group and the 9-12 month group, the 1-4 month group had a significantly greater change in CVAI after postural correction training (P<0.001).
Conclusions:
The sleeping posture in the supine position may be associated with the development of plagiocephaly. Adverse perinatal factors, preterm birth, and congenital muscular torticollis as possible causes of plagiocephaly are commonly seen in early infancy. Postural correction training has a significant effect in improving plagiocephaly, especially in early infancy.
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