Researchers comparing positional plagiocephaly treatments found that conservative management and helmet therapy reduced cranial asymmetry with no significant difference in correction speed. In the helmet group, an earlier treatment initiation was significantly associated with a greater severity level reduction, and a longer treatment duration showed a trend toward a greater reduction in the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI). In the conservative management group, both earlier treatment initiation and longer treatment duration correlated significantly with improved outcomes. A trend toward a greater reduction in severity level was observed with helmet therapy, suggesting its potential benefits in more severe cases.
After a retrospective analysis, 72 patients with a minimum treatment duration of 90 days and minimum plagiocephaly severity level 2 per the Children’s Healthcare Atlanta Plagiocephaly Severity Scale were included. Of those, 36 received conservative management and 36 received helmet therapy. Each infant underwent 3D surface scanning with a Orthomerica StarScanner.
The age at treatment initiation was 31.9 ± 6.6 weeks in the helmet group and 21 ± 5.7 weeks in the conservative management group. The average treatment duration was 21.9 weeks versus 20.6 weeks, respectively. The monthly correction speed of the CVAI was comparable between groups, and the plagiocephaly degree was reduced to level 1 in 25 percent of patients who received helmet therapy versus 11 percent in the conservative management group.
A reduction in severity level was observed in 67 percent of patients who received helmet therapy versus 42 percent in the conservative management group.
In the helmet group, an earlier treatment initiation was significantly associated with a greater severity level reduction. A longer treatment duration showed a trend toward a greater reduction in CVAI. In the conservative management group, both earlier treatment initiation and longer treatment duration correlated significantly with improved outcomes. A trend toward a greater reduction in severity level was observed with helmet therapy, suggesting its potential benefits in more severe cases.
The study, “Comparative analysis of goal attainment for helmet therapy versus conservative management for positional plagiocephaly in infants,” was published in Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics.
https://www.e-cep.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.3345/cep.2025.01102
