Outcome analysis of molding helmet therapy using a classification for differentiation between plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and combination of both

Outcome Analysis of the Effects of Helmet Therapy in Infants with Brachycephaly

“…Furthermore, the logistic regression analysis revealed that delivery method, prematurity, and multiple births did not influence the duration of helmet therapy. Recently, Hinken et al conducted an analysis of covariance to determine which factors affect the final CI in children with brachycephaly and plagiocephaly, and identified how the treatment duration, age at treatment initiation, baseline CI, and compliance affect the final CI [20]. However, Hinken et al did not include the initial CVAI as an independent variable.…”

“…The children were divided into five groups according to age. The age standard was set in consideration of other papers and the slope of head circumference [3,20,24,25]. The slope of the head circumference growth is very steep in the early infant period.…”

“…According to Freudlsperger et al, delayed helmet therapy does not affect the plagiocephaly correction rate in mild cases [22]. However, few previous studies have examined the effects of age and brachycephaly severity on the outcomes of helmet therapy [3,20]. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the factors that influence the effects of helmet therapy with proper treatment compliance in children with moderate to severe brachycephaly.…”

“…According to the Congress of Neurological Surgeons' guidelines, published in 2016, helmet therapy should be performed after conservative treatment in children with moderate to severe plagiocephaly that is persistent or detected in a patient at an advanced age [17]. However, some studies have reported that helmet therapy is more effective in younger children and those with less severe cranial deformities [18][19][20]. Moreover, although helmet therapy has been used in children with brachycephaly, most studies have described its use for plagiocephaly.…”

Infant Cranial Deformity: Cranial Helmet Therapy or Physiotherapy?

“…There is no consensus on the age of the infant in which CHT should be applied, despite it being a key factor to consider during treatment. Some studies have insisted on the effectiveness of application of this therapy before a patient reaches six months of age [27][28][29][30]. However, other authors have concluded that helmet treatment is equally effective if it is initiated within the first 12 months of life, since 85% of cranial growth occurs during this time [31,32].…”