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Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
Positional plagiocephaly: results of the osteopathic treatment of 424 infants. An observational retrospective cohort
Raffaella Panza1, Filippo Piarulli2, Valentina Rizzo2
1Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine - Section of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Bari, Bari, 70124, Italy. raffaella.panza@policlinico.ba.it.
Insights
Osteopathic treatment significantly improved positional cranial deformities in infants, including positional plagiocephaly and positional brachycephaly. Early intervention with osteopathy is recommended for optimal infant development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Osteopathy
- Craniofacial Development
Background:
- Positional plagiocephaly, an infant skull deformity, has increased in prevalence.
- Early osteopathic treatment is proposed to support healthy infant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of osteopathic treatment for positional cranial deformities in infants.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study conducted at the University of Bari, Italy.
- Collaboration with a specialized pediatric osteopath.
- Analysis of data from 424 enrolled infants.
Main Results:
- The majority of infants (91.98%) had isolated positional plagiocephaly; 8.02% had positional brachycephaly.
- Both groups showed improvement after a median of 3 osteopathic sessions.
- Higher asymmetry scores were linked to preterm neonates and males.
Conclusions:
- Osteopathic treatment led to significant improvements in infant cranial asymmetries.
- Positive impacts were observed after a median of five osteopathic treatments in early infancy.
- Osteopathy is suggested as a first-line approach for infants with positional plagiocephaly.
Background:
Positional plagiocephaly is an asymmetrical flattened skull deformity whose incidence increased significantly in the last decades. Osteopathic treatment has been suggested to tackle early deformational sequences, in order to ensure the correct development of the child. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of osteopathic treatment of positional cranial deformities in infants.
Methods:
Retrospective observational study carried out at the Section of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine of University of Bari, Italy in collaboration with a specialized pediatric osteopath.
Results:
424 infants were enrolled. Isolated positional plagiocephaly affected the vast majority of infants (n. 390, 91.98%); 34 patients (8.02%) were diagnosed with positional brachycephaly. Both infant groups (positional plagiocephaly and positional brachycephaly) had a median severity score of 3 (IQR: 3 - 3 and 2 - 3, respectively) and benefited from a median of 3 osteopathic sessions (IQR 3-4 and 2-4, respectively). Higher severity scores of positional asymmetries were significantly more common in preterm neonates (Pearson chi2: 11.58; p-value: 0.021) and in males (Pearson chi2: 10.06; p-value: 0.039).
Conclusions:
Significant improvements in positional cranial deformations of children were obtained after only five osteopathic treatments provided in the first months of life. The osteopathic treatment could positively impact the clinical history of patients with positional plagiocephaly and positional brachycephaly.
Implication For Practice:
• Positional plagiocephaly is increasingly common among infants and may cause moderate to severe neurodevelopmental adverse effects. • Osteopathic treatment may tackle early deformational sequences, in order to ensure the correct development of the child. • Our study reveals that cranial asymmetry of infants with positional plagiocephaly is significantly reduced after only five osteopathic treatments provided in the first months of life. • Osteopathic treatment should be offered as a first line approach to young infants diagnosed with positional plagiocephaly.
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