The functional manual therapy intervention in infants with nonsynostotic plagiocephaly: a pilot study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to document the evolution of cranial asymmetries in infants with signs of nonsynostotic occipital plagiocephaly (NSOP) who underwent to many functional manual therapy treatments (in addition to the standard positioning recommendations); as well as to determine the feasibility of this methodology to conduct outcome research investigating the impact of this intervention for infants with NSOP. This is a pilot clinical standardization project using pre-post design in which 10 infants participated. Nine infants presented an initial Oblique Diameter Difference Index (ODDI) (over 104%), three an initial Ear Deviation Index (EDI) (over 4%), and three a Cranial Proportional Index (CPI) (over 90%). Infants received three functional manual therapy treatments for week during the first month of intervention and two for week during the second month. Plagiocephalometric measurements were administered at the first assessment preintervention (T0), after 30 days (±5) (T1) and at a third time after 60 days (±5) of treatment (T2). Nine out of ten participants showed a significant decrease in ODDI under 104% between T0 and T2 assessments. Five out of ten infants showed an EDI under 4%, and 3/10 showed a value about 0%. 3/10 maintained their CPI over 90% with a considerable decrease. These clinical findings support the hypothesis that functional manual therapy treatments contribute to the improvement of cranial asymmetries in infants younger than 6.5 months old presenting with NSOP.