title: Repercussions of plagiocephaly on posture, muscle flexibility and balance in children aged 3-5 years old.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to assess posture, muscle flexibility and balance in children aged 3-5 years old with a history of nonsynostotic plagiocephaly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two children with previous history of plagiocephaly were evaluated, along with 52 control subjects matched for age, sex, height, weight and physical activity. The outcome measures included static posture, assessed through the measurement of angles and distances between anatomical landmarks; muscle flexibility, evaluated with the Stibor, Shober and finger-to-floor distance tests and balance, assessed by the Pediatric Balance Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-way analysis of variance afforded statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in head position, muscle flexibility (thoracic mobility and trunk and lower limbs muscle shortening) and balance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with previous history of non-synostotic plagiocephaly present changes in head position, muscle shortening and a poor balance when compared to control children at 3-5 years old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cabrera-Martos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Marie Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Valenza
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valenza-Demet
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángela
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Benítez-Feliponi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robles-Vizcaíno
authors.affiliation: Early Care and Monitoring Unit, Pediatrics Service, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángeles
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Extremera
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D059041:Plagiocephaly / Q000150:complications*; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: infant development; motor development; musculoskeletal health; pre-school