Multisite study of infants with single-suture craniosynostosis: preliminary report of presurgery development.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cognitive and language development of untreated infants with a single suture craniosynostosis at time of diagnosis.


METHODS
The study presents time 1 assessments on the first 100 infants with a single suture craniosynostosis (sagittal, metopic, unilateral coronal, and lambdoid) referred to the Infant Learning Project, a prospective, multisite, longitudinal study evaluating neurocognitive development.


METHODS
Infants were assessed with the mental (Mental Development Index [MDI]) and motor scales (Psychomotor Developmental Index [PDI]) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Preschool Language Scale receptive (PLS-AC) and expressive (PLS-EC) language scales. Mothers completed the Parenting Stress Inventory, a brief measure of intelligence (maternal IQ [MAT-IQ]), and provided information regarding family socioeconomic status (SES).


RESULTS
As a group, infants scored significantly lower than the normative data on the MDI (91.9), PDI (83.5), PLS-AC (90.4), and PLS-EC (95.8), and the distribution of scores differed significantly from the expected distribution. MAT-IQ and SES were significantly correlated (.47, p < .01) with mothers of higher IQ coming from higher SES groups. Both MAT-IQ and SES were significantly negatively correlated with life stress events; however, neither MAT-IQ nor SES was correlated with any of the infant development scores.


CONCLUSIONS
There may be a greater developmental risk for infants with a single suture craniosynostosis than previously believed. However, control group data will be necessary to confirm findings.
Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA. k-kapp-simon@northwestern.edu
Kathleen A
KA
Kapp-Simon
Brian
B
Leroux
Michael
M
Cunningham
Matthew L
ML
Speltz
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007360:Intelligence; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis