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Research into the correlation between positional skull deformation and motor performance of infants aged under
Tianqi Huang1, Wenzao Li1, Chengju Wang1
1Department of Pediatrics, the Second Affiliate Hospital of Army Medical University, No. 83 Xinqiao Street, Chongqing, 400037, China.
Insights
Positional skull deformation (PD) in infants under 4 months is linked to poorer motor skills. Infants with PD showed lower motor performance scores, and severe PD correlated with worse outcomes, suggesting a significant interaction.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Infant Health
Background:
- Positional skull deformation (PD) is a common condition in infants.
- Early motor development is crucial for overall infant well-being.
- The relationship between PD and infant motor performance requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the correlation between positional skull deformation (PD) and motor performance in infants under 4 months of age.
- To compare motor performance across different types and severities of PD.
- To assess the incidence of PD in infants with varying motor performance levels.
Main Methods:
- Infants under 4 months were assessed for cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) and cephalic index (CI).
- The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) was utilized to evaluate motor skills.
- Statistical analyses compared motor performance and PD incidence based on type and severity.
Main Results:
- Infants with PD exhibited significantly lower TIMP scores compared to healthy infants (P < 0.05).
- Specific PD types like dolichocephaly and plagiocephaly showed statistically significant motor deficits.
- Higher CVA values, indicative of more severe PD, correlated with lower motor performance, particularly at 3-4 months.
Conclusions:
- Positional skull deformation and infant motor performance appear to be interrelated.
- Increased severity of PD is associated with diminished motor skills in infants.
- Infants with poorer motor performance have a higher incidence of developing PD.
Objective:
To investigate the correlation between positional skull deformation (PD) and motor performance of infants under 4 months of age.
Methods:
Infants aged under 4 months were enrolled in the children's healthcare and the premature infants follow-up Clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University. The cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) and cephalic index (CI) were calculated in all infants, and the infant motor performance test (TIMP) was used to evaluate the infant motor performance. The motor performances of infants with different types and degrees of PD were compared, so were the incidences of PD in infants with different motor performance levels.
Results:
Overall, 2118 infants were recruited and divided according to the types of PD and TIMP scores. The comparison of TIMP scores within different types of PD at different months of age showed that, regardless of the types of PD, TIMP scores of infants with PD were lower than those of normal infants. In particular, the difference in TIMP scores was statistically significant (P < 0.05) in infants with dolichocephaly, plagiocephaly,dolicho-plagiocephaly and brachy-plagiocephy. In addition, the comparison of CVA values of infants with different TIMP score levels at different months of age showed that the CVA values of the extremely low-level group were significantly higher than those of the medium-level and high-level group, especially in the 3-month-old and 4-month-old groups, which showed significant statistical differences (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
PD and motor performance of infants aged under 4 months seem to interact and influenc each other. The more serious the severity of PD were,the worse the motor performance of infants. Conversely, the incidence of PD increased in infants with poor motor performance.
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