Comorbidities of deformational plagiocephaly in infancy: A scoping review

Lia Charalambous, Mijna Hadders-Algra, Edna N. Yamasaki, Sofia Lampropoulou

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Aim: While deformational plagiocephaly (DP) is suspected to be associated with comorbidities, their nature and prevalence are unclear. This scoping review aims to report DP comorbidities occurring until the age of 2 years, their prevalence and whether they depend on the child's age and sex. Methods: Relevant studies were identified by searching the Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and EBSCO databases from 1992 to 30 April 2021. Data on study characteristics, comorbidities and assessment instruments were extracted and qualitatively synthesised. Risk of bias was assessed and studies with high risk of bias were excluded. Results: Studies meeting selection criteria (n = 27) often evaluated groups from tertiary clinics, implying selection bias. Studies reported on developmental delay (n = 16), limited speech production (n = 1), auditory (n = 3), visual (n = 3), mandibular (n = 3) and neurological impairments (n = 1). The data did not allow prevalence calculation or modifying effect of sex. Due to biased data, the review provided no evidence on DP comorbidities. Weak evidence suggested that in the selective samples, DP was associated with motor and language delays in the first year. Conclusion: Due to biased data, no evidence on comorbidity in infants with DP was available. Our study underlined the need of risk of bias assessment in scoping reviews.

Original languageEnglish
JournalActa Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2024

Keywords

  • comorbidities
  • deformational plagiocephaly
  • developmental delay
  • infancy
  • observational studies

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