The Role of Age on Effectiveness of Active Repositioning Therapy in Positional Skull Deformities

Abstract

Purpose: Non-synostotic positional deformities are currently diagnosed in nearly half of the newborns, however not any evidence-based guidelines are available for management. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of active repositioning treatment at infants with positional skull deformities.

Method: A retrospective data of 158 infants treated with active repositioning as a conservative treatment for at least 2 months were analyzed in this study. Anthropometric 3D scanner measurements of pre-and post-treatment diagonal difference, cranial vault asymmetry index, cranial ratio were evaluated for each patient. Infants were separated to 4 different groups according to their morphologic deformation types as plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, scaphocephaly and combined (brachycephaly+plagiocephaly), and 2 groups according to age at onset of treatment.

Results: In combined group, pre-treatment mean diagonal difference and cranial vault asymmetry index values decreased from 9.38 mm and 6.9% to 6.94 mm and 4.9% respectively. In plagiocephaly group, mean pre-treatment results changed from 10.32 mm and 7.5% to 7.83 mm and 5.5% respectively after treatment. All these changes were statistically significant. Effectiveness of timing of repositioning treatment on different positional skull deformities was analyzed and outcome was found significantly improved when the active repositioning treatment was started before 4 months of age.

Conclusion: Improvement rates of the asymmetry decrease with age due to decreasing skull enlargement rate. Early diagnosis, especially before 4 months of age, more parental education, and close follow-up are important for babies with this condition who may benefit just from repositioning treatment.