Cranial Orthosis Therapy for Plagiocephaly: an RCT Pilot Study Comparing Cranial Orthosis to the Natural Course

Our research endeavors to examine the feasibility of implementing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that evaluates the efficacy of cranial orthosis therapy in addressing severe deformational plagiocephaly among infants aged 4 to 7 months.

Primary Objective: The central focus is on evaluating the feasibility aspects associated with the RCT design within our clinical setting.

Participants: Infants meeting the inclusion criteria will be recruited and randomized into two distinct groups:

• Treatment Group: Receiving cranial orthosis therapy initiated one week post their initial physiatrist visit.
• Control Group: Adhering to the standard of care, with cranial orthosis initiation at 7 weeks post their initial physiatrist visit.

Study Procedures: Participants in both groups will undergo a structured series of assessments and interventions, including:

• Head measurements and 3D-scan evaluations to quantify cranial deformities.
• Helmet adjustments by experienced orthotists based on growth and changes in head shape.
• Regular medical follow-ups, totaling four visits during the course of the study.

Post-Treatment Assessments: Upon completion of the cranial orthosis therapy, participants will be required to fill out post-treatment questionnaires, providing valuable insights into their experiences, satisfaction levels, and any potential concerns

Inclusion criteria

• All participants must be assessed by a physiatrist at Sainte-Justine Hospital at the plagiocephaly clinic of the physical medicine and rehabilitation service.
• Participants must have a clinical diagnosis of severe deformational plagiocephaly by a physiatrist based on clinical evaluation and confirmed by anthropometric measurements with a spreading caliper and 3D-scan.
• Participants must be aged from 4 months and 0 days to 7 months old minus a day at the onset of cranial orthosis therapy. Premature subjects will be age-adjusted by calculating the post-partum age minus the number of weeks of prematurity, rounding to the whole nearest month.
• Participants' parents (or legal guardian) must be apt to give consent and able to reliably express themselves (either written or verbally, if illiterate or unable to write for any other reason).

Exclusion criteria

• Patients whose 3D-scan measurements do not confirm a severe plagiocephaly.
• Participants who are lost at follow-up or who drop out of treatment will be excluded.
• Participants whose parents report less than 20 hours per day on average of helmet wear.
• Participants with synostotic cranial deformation.
• Patients with isolated brachycephaly, without a plagiocephalic component to the deformation.
• Patients with other craniofacial deformities or syndromes.
• Patients having had their orthosis made or modified at a laboratory other than the Sainte-Justine hospital/Centre de réadaptation Marie-Enfant.