Investigating the Prevalence of Positional Plagiocephaly With 3D Scan in Children Under One Year of Age in Mofid Hospital

Positional plagiocephaly is one of the most common skull deformities that ultimately lead to the asymmetry of the head and face in different ranges. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of plagiocephaly and analyze the relationship between risk factors and the severity level of the deformities in children referred to the Mofid hospital.

In a cross-sectional study, the cranial vault asymmetry index was calculated from a routine head scan with a noninvasive laser shape digitizer. Data were recorded and categorized by the type and severity of deformation. Also, for the analysis of risk factors, data about sitting, feeding, and sleeping positions were gathered from parents.

The study participants included 90 children, and the prevalence of head deformity was 35% (32 infants) with mild to moderate severity. According to the risk factors, infant positions are significantly correlated with the severity of plagiocephaly.

Parents’ awareness of changing the head position plays an important role to reduce the risk of plagiocephaly in children.