Therapeutic Effectiveness of a Novel Cranial Remolding Helmet (baby band2) for Positional Plagiocephaly: A Multicenter Clinical Observational Study.

This multicenter study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a novel cranial remolding helmet (baby band2), which is completely custom-made based on the shape of an infant's cranium. The study included 224 full-term infants from moderate to very severe positional plagiocephaly in Japan. Cranial geometry was assessed before and after helmet therapy using a three-dimensional scanner, and changes in the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) were analyzed.

Changes in Cranial Shape and Developmental Quotient at 6 Months of Age in Preterm Infants.

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in cranial shape among preterm neonates aged 1-6 months and the relationship between developmental quotient (DQ) and cranial shape at 6 months of age. Preterm infants who were hospitalized in our hospital were prospectively followed for 6 months. The cephalic index (CI) and cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) were evaluated at 1 (T1), 3 (T2), and 6 months (T3) of age and compared with those of the full-term infants.

Cranial Shape Measurements Obtained Using a Caliper and Elastic Bands Are Useful for Brachycephaly and Deformational Plagiocephaly Screening.

We assessed a method for screening the cranial shape of 1-month-old infants using a simple measuring instrument instead of a three-dimensional scanner. The Mimos craniometer was used to measure cranial length, cranial width, and two diagonal lengths to calculate the cranial index (CI) and cranial asymmetry (CA). We defined a CI > 90% as brachycephaly and CA > 5 mm as deformational plagiocephaly (DP).

Fetal Sinus Bradycardia Is Associated with Congenital Hypothyroidism: An Infant with Ectopic Thyroid Tissue.

Hypothyroidism is rarely included in the differential diagnosis for fetal sinus bradycardia. We report an infant with congenital hypothyroidism caused by ectopic thyroid tissue, who showed antenatal bradycardia. The baseline fetal heart rate was 100-110 bpm at 30 weeks of gestation, and fetal echocardiography revealed sinus bradycardia but no cardiac anomalies.