Helmet Therapy for Positional Cranial Deformities in Children

Positional cranial deformities are a group of disorders that result in asymmetrical cranial vault due to the application of prolonged exterior pressure on the skull. These can be classified as deformational plagiocephaly, deformational brachycephaly and deformational scaphocephaly, in order of frequency. Clinical awareness of the condition has increased due to its increased incidence resulting from sleep practices advocated by the American Academy of Pediatrics to reduce sudden infant death syndrome. Therapy is directed towards cosmetic concerns, and treatment options include observation, active head repositioning, physical therapy, cranial orthoses and surgical treatment in a few very severe cases. In this paper, the efficacy of helmet use to treat positional cranial deformities is reviewed.