title: Neurologic findings in infants with deformational plagiocephaly.
abstract: This study evaluates the neurologic profiles of infants with deformational plagiocephaly. Forty-nine infants with deformational plagiocephaly between the ages of 4 and 13 months (mean age, 8.1 months) are evaluated, along with 50 age-matched control subjects (mean age, 8.1 months). A modified version of the Hammersmith infant neurologic assessment was performed on each infant. A caregiver completed a questionnaire regarding the infant's prematurity, development, and health to date. Results are analyzed using t test. There is a statistically significant difference in overall neurologic assessment scores of infants with deformational plagiocephaly vs their healthy peers (P = .002). This difference is predominately in tone, whereby infants with deformational plagiocephaly have significantly more abnormal tone than nonplagiocephalic infants (P = .003). This abnormality is not one of decreased tone but one of variable tone, deflecting abnormally high and low tone. Infants with deformational plagiocephaly are more likely to have altered tone but not exclusively decreased tone.
authors.affiliation: Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Institute, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Devra B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Pilgram
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noetzel
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Alex A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kane
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D009123:Muscle Hypotonia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D049068:Plagiocephaly, Nonsynostotic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011187:Posture; D012016:Reference Values; D012919:Social Behavior; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric