News from Össur

5 February 2008

Is Cranial Treatment Necessary for Plagiocephaly?

Plagiocephaly paper in British Medical Journal puts infants suffering from the condition at further risk says cranial remoulding specialist.

A paper produced by two of the UK’s major craniofacial units published in the last two weeks has offered nothing new in the debate on cranial remoulding says Stephen Mottram MBAPO Clinical Specialist Orthotist and Cranial Remoulding Specialist.

"In short," said Mr Mottram, "it gives little hope for parents of infants with plagiocephaly. In fact I would go so far to say that the paper mirrors an attitude by the UK medical community to head deformity which is putting UK infants at further risk. 

In a strongly-worded rebuke to the paper’s authors Stephen Mottram criticises the selective quoting of previous research, interpretation of data to support a pre-formulated argument and offering of anecdotal evidence as fact and valid reference.

He continued, "Normal, healthy UK infants have an advice-induced deformity which is being neglected, with information on and access to treatment being denied by the UK medical community for dogmatic reasons which may ultimately have budgetary rather than clinical origins. 

"UK infants are being damaged by the absence of treatment and may be subject to additional problems as a result of the advice provided in this paper – which is neither scientific or objective." 

There is - as yet - no controlled randomised trial data confirming the benefits of helmet therapy in deformational plagiocephaly - the key component of cranial remoulding treatment programmes. Mottram concluded, "it is something we would fully support."