Pediatria pre prax 4/2018
Možnosti liečby polohovej plagiocefálie
Possibilities of treatment of plagiocephaly
Plagiocephaly is the positional deformity of the head and is not considered to be a pathological condition. It is more of an esthetic impairment and could have potentially negative psychological or psychosocial consequences; therefore, treatment is recommended. The incidence of plagiocephaly has increased in the last 25 years. Most cases involve postnatal conditions that encourage the development of plagiocephaly, and the most frequent cause is sleeping on the back. Lateral plagiocephaly with a one-sided flattening of the occiput is differentiated from brachycephaly, which features a central flattening of the occiput. Mixed forms of both asymmetries are common. The one-sided limitation of head movement is caused by segmental functional disorders primarily in the area of the head joint. Direct anthropometry is the oldest objective method of evaluating plagiocephaly and is deemed to be a simple, low-cost method that is easy to use in the clinical routine. It is conducted purely manually with measuring instruments in the form of calipers, tape measures, and sliding gauges. Objectively determines the type and severity of the head deformity. Therapy using a head orthosis is an effective process in cases of positional lateral plagiocephaly and also mixed forms with brachycephaly to improve lateral cranial asymmetries.
Keywords: positional plagiocephaly, anthropometry, cranial orthoses, craniosynostosis
