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).