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Infant Cranial Deformity: Cranial Helmet Therapy or Physiotherapy?
Josefa González-Santos1, Jerónimo J González-Bernal1, Raquel De-la-Fuente Anuncibay2
1Department of Health Sciences, Cavidito Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain.
Insights
Cranial helmet therapy (CHT) and physiotherapy (PT) showed no significant differences in treating infant positional plagiocephaly. Both treatments improved developmental outcomes and reduced cranial asymmetry, but neither was statistically superior.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Orthotics
Background:
- Positional plagiocephaly is a common condition in infants.
- Early intervention is crucial for optimal functional recovery.
- Comparing treatment efficacy for cranial deformities is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cranial helmet therapy (CHT) and physiotherapy (PT) for treating positional plagiocephaly.
- To assess the effectiveness of CHT and PT in improving functional recovery in infants.
- To evaluate changes in cranial asymmetry and developmental quotients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 48 infants (5-10 months) with cranial deformities.
- Measurements included Cranial Vault Asymmetry Index (CVAI) and Brunet-Lezine scale.
- Data collected at baseline and after 40 treatment sessions.
Main Results:
- Both CHT and PT groups showed developmental improvements.
- No significant differences were found between CHT and PT in the Brunet-Lezine scale (p=0.506).
- CVAI reduction was observed in both groups, with no significant difference between therapies (p=0.70).
Conclusions:
- No statistically significant differences were found between cranial helmet therapy and physiotherapy.
- Both treatments led to improvements in cranial deformity measurements.
- Further research may explore long-term functional outcomes.
Abstract:
Objective: To compare cranial helmet therapy (CHT) and physiotherapy (PT) for the effective treatment of positional plagiocephaly in infants in terms of improving functional recovery. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study involving 48 infants between 5-10 months of age with cranial deformities. The Cranial Vault Asymmetry Index (CVAI) and the Brunet-Lezine scale were calculated at the initiation of the study and after 40 treatment sessions. Results: The infants' first assessment showed a delay in overall development areas with a global developmental quotient (DQ) (posture, coordination, sociability, and language) of 80.15. Although developmental improvements were observed in both groups in the Brunet-Lezine scale after treatment, the MANCOVA test showed no significant differences (F(5) = 0.82, p = 0.506, eta2 = 0.09). The CVAI reduced to 4.07% during the final evaluation in the cranial helmet group and 5.85% in the physiotherapy group without any significant differences between the two therapies (p = 0.70). Conclusions: No statistically significant differences were found between CHT and PT. After treatment, improvements from baseline measurements were observed in each of the readings of cranial deformity.
