Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy in Nonsynostotic Plagiocephaly

Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy in Nonsynostotic Plagiocephaly

The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative therapy in reducing the asymmetries of skull in infants with nonsynostotic plagiocephaly.

Nonsynostotic plagiocephaly (NSP) is defined as the deformation of the head resulting from external forces that mould the skull during the first months of life.

Four months seems to be a critical age for the development of NSP, but many positional head shape deformities may improve with time.

Early assessment and diagnosis is important not only for the shape of the skull, but also for possible clinical significant differences in gross motor development.

In paediatric conditions the effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment is documented in systematic reviews; in NSP the only study, which is a pilot, reveals an average reduction of 50% asymmetry on 12 infants who have undergone a course of four osteopathic treatments.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Infants with NSP, ODDI score of 104% or more.
• To be at term corrected age if born prematurely.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Synostotic Plagiocephaly
• Infant who underwent an osteopathic manipulative treatment before the enrolment
• Dysmorphisms
• Syndromes
• Congenital Muscular Torcicolis
• Cerebral Palsy