Follow-up and prognostic study of infants with positional plagiocephaly / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the effects of infantile positional plagiocephaly on the growth and neural development.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study was conducted on the medical data of 467 children who underwent craniographic examination and were followed up to 3 years of age in Peking University Third Hospital from June 2018 to May 2022. They were divided into four groups: mild positional plagiocephaly (n=108), moderate positional plagiocephaly (n=49), severe positional plagiocephaly (n=12), and normal cranial shape (n=298). The general information of the four groups and the weight, length, head circumference, visual acuity screening results, hearing test results, and the scores of Pediatric Neuropsychological Developmental Scales/Gesell Developmental Schedules of the four groups from 6 to 36 months old were compared.@*RESULTS@#The rates of adverse perinatal factors, congenital muscular torticollis, and supine fixed sleeping posture in the mild, moderate, and severe positional plagiocephaly groups were higher than the normal cranial group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in weight, length, and head circumference among the four groups at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months of age (P>0.05). The incidence rate of abnormal vision in the severe positional plagiocephaly group was higher than that in the mild positional plagiocephaly, moderate positional plagiocephaly and normal cranial shape groups at 24 and 36 months of age (P<0.05). The scores of the Pediatric Neuropsychological Developmental Scales at 12 and 24 months of age and the scores of the Gesell Developmental Schedules at 36 months of age in the severe positional plagiocephaly group were lower than those in the mild positional plagiocephaly, moderate positional plagiocephaly and normal cranial shape groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Adverse perinatal factors, congenital muscular torticollis, and supine fixed sleeping position may be associated with infantile positional plagiocephaly. Mild or moderate positional plagiocephaly has no significant impact on the growth and neural development of children. Severe positional plagiocephaly have adverse effects on the visual acuity. However, it is not considered that severe positional plagiocephaly can affect the neurological development.

Características, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la tortícolis muscular congénita / Characteristics, Diagnosis and Management of Congenial Muscular Torticollis

Introducción: La tortícolis muscular congénita es una entidad clínica que se hace evidente al nacimiento o poco después, presenta un amplio espectro de secuelas; algunas de estas, una vez establecidas, pueden requerir complejas y costosas correcciones quirúrgicas. we Objetivo: Caracterizar la tortícolis muscular congénita según elementos clínicos, diagnósticos y terapéuticos. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda de literatura relevante sobre el tema en el primer cuatrimestre de 2021. Se utilizaron como buscadores de información científica: Pubmed/Medline, SciELO, Scopus y ScienceDirect, así como fuentes oficiales como, China CDC, CDC y FDA. La estrategia de búsqueda incluyó los siguientes términos como palabras clave: tortícolis muscular congénita, complicaciones dentofaciales y psicológicas, plagiocefalia posicional. Se evaluaron artículos de revisión, de investigación y páginas web que, en general, tenían menos de 10 años de publicados, en idioma español e inglés, y que hicieran referencia específicamente al tema de estudio a través del título. Fueron excluidos los artículos que no cumplieron con estas condiciones. Esto permitió el estudio de 90 referencias bibliográficas, de las cuales 30 se citaron en el presente artículo. Conclusiones: La tortícolis muscular congénita es una enfermedad de observancia frecuente, su diagnóstico clínico y por exámenes complementarios debe hacerse en los primeros meses de vida. La detección y tratamiento rehabilitador precoz constituyen las armas fundamentales para evitar sus secuelas dentofaciales y psicológicas.

Introduction: Congenital muscular torticollis is a clinical entity that becomes evident at birth or shortly thereafter. It presents a wide spectrum of sequelae. Some of these, once established, may require complex and costly surgical corrections. Objective: To characterize congenital muscular torticollis according to clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic elements. Methods: A search for relevant literature on the subject was carried out in the first third of 2021. As information search engines Pubmed/Medline, SciELO, Scopus and ScienceDirect were used; as well as official sources, such as China CDC, CDC and FDA. The search strategy included the following keywords: tortícolis muscular congénita [congenital muscular torticollis], complicaciones dentofaciales y psicológicas [dentofacial and psychological complications], plagiocefalia posicional [positional plagiocephaly]. Review articles, research articles and web pages, in Spanish and in English, were assessed by considering that they had generally been published within less than ten years and that they referred, within their title, specifically to the topic of study. The articles that did not meet these conditions were excluded. This allowed the study of ninety bibliographic references, thirty of which were cited in the present article. Conclusions: Congenital muscular torticollis is a frequently observed disease, which should be diagnosed, clinically and by complementary tests, in the first months of life. Early identification and rehabilitation treatment are the fundamental weapons to avoid its dentofacial and psychological sequelae.

Effectiveness of Helmet Cranial Remodeling in Older Infants with Positional Plagiocephaly

BACKGROUND: Management of positional plagiocephaly by wearing a cranial molding helmet has become a matter of growing medical interest. Some research studies reported that starting helmet therapy early (age 5 to 6 months) is important and leads to a significantly better outcome in a shorter treatment time. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cranial remodeling treatment with wearing helmet for older infants (> or =18 months). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 27 infants with positional plagiocephaly without synostosis, who were started from 2008 to 2012. Every child underwent a computerized tomography (CT) before starting helmet therapy to exclude synostosis of the cranial sutures and had CT performed once again after satisfactory completion of therapy. Anthropometric measurements were taken on using spreading calipers in every child. The treatment effect was compared using cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) and the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI), which were obtained from diagonal measurements before and after therapy. RESULTS: The discrepancy of CVA and CVAI of all the patients significantly decreased after cranial molding helmet treatment in older infants (> or =18 months) 7.6 mm from 15.6 mm to 8 mm and 4.51% from 9.42% to 4.91%. Six patients had confirmed successful outcome, and all subjects were good compliance patients. The treatment lasted an average of 16.4 months, was well tolerated, and had no complication. Additionally, the rate of the successful treatment (final CVA < or =5 mm) significantly decreased when the wearing time per was shorter. CONCLUSION: This study showed that treatment by cranial remodeling orthosis was effective if the patient could wear the helmet longer and treatment duration was somewhat longer than in younger patients, well tolerated in older infants and had no morbidity. This therapeutic option is available and indicated in these older infants before other cranial remodeling surgery.

Effectiveness of Helmet Cranial Remodeling in Older Infants with Positional Plagiocephaly

BACKGROUND: Management of positional plagiocephaly by wearing a cranial molding helmet has become a matter of growing medical interest. Some research studies reported that starting helmet therapy early (age 5 to 6 months) is important and leads to a significantly better outcome in a shorter treatment time. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cranial remodeling treatment with wearing helmet for older infants (> or =18 months). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 27 infants with positional plagiocephaly without synostosis, who were started from 2008 to 2012. Every child underwent a computerized tomography (CT) before starting helmet therapy to exclude synostosis of the cranial sutures and had CT performed once again after satisfactory completion of therapy. Anthropometric measurements were taken on using spreading calipers in every child. The treatment effect was compared using cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) and the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI), which were obtained from diagonal measurements before and after therapy. RESULTS: The discrepancy of CVA and CVAI of all the patients significantly decreased after cranial molding helmet treatment in older infants (> or =18 months) 7.6 mm from 15.6 mm to 8 mm and 4.51% from 9.42% to 4.91%. Six patients had confirmed successful outcome, and all subjects were good compliance patients. The treatment lasted an average of 16.4 months, was well tolerated, and had no complication. Additionally, the rate of the successful treatment (final CVA < or =5 mm) significantly decreased when the wearing time per was shorter. CONCLUSION: This study showed that treatment by cranial remodeling orthosis was effective if the patient could wear the helmet longer and treatment duration was somewhat longer than in younger patients, well tolerated in older infants and had no morbidity. This therapeutic option is available and indicated in these older infants before other cranial remodeling surgery.

A Simple Evaluation Method Using a "Sun-Wukong's Headband" Wire for Positional Plagiocephaly Correction after Cranial Remodeling Helmet Therapy

PURPOSE: A cranioremodeling helmet for correcting plagiocephaly was recently developed. However, no discrete objective methods to evaluate how the deformity is being corrected have been developed. We have established an easy and cost-effective method that can be used not only to show the correction process, but can also be used by physicians to assess the degree of plagiocephaly two-dimensionally. METHODS: For two-dimensional evaluation, a length of malleable memory wire (2 mm in diameter) resembling "Sun-Wukong's headband" was placed on the patient's head. The wire around the patient's head was positioned on a plane including points 1 cm above the eyebrow and 1 cm above the auricle. The wire was placed on a sheet of paper and the outline was marked using pens of various colors during each visit. The degree of plagiocephaly correction could then be shown to the patient's parents at every consultation. RESULTS: The method established by the present study easily shows the horizontal cross-section transformation of the head, illustrates plagiocephaly correction by the helmet, and shows the degree of correction in a two-dimensional manner. CONCLUSION: A soft-shell helmet is widely used for correcting plagiocephaly. However, evaluating the effectiveness of the helmet has been determined in a subjective manner, and a more objective method is now in demanded. Our study found that a "Sun-Wukong's headband" wire can accurately measure two-dimensional changes. Future studies will be required to identify landmarks needed for assessing plagiocephaly correction.