ArticlePhysical therapy2021
Do Infant Motor Skills Mediate the Association Between Positional Plagiocephaly/Brachycephaly and Cognition in School-Aged Children?
Article in Physical therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Alleviating abnormal stress on compressed cranial sutures: a potential mechanism for treating and preventing deformational plagiocephaly.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Current understanding of children's head shape and its impact on health: a cross-sectional study among pediatric medical staff in China.Translational pediatrics · 2024Article
- Behavioral and Social Functioning of Children With and Without Positional Plagiocephaly: Late Infancy to School Age.The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivePositional plagiocephaly/brachycephaly (PPB) is associated with lower cognitive scores in school-aged children. This study tested the hypothesis that infant motor skills mediate this association.
methodsChildren with a history of PPB (cases, n = 187) and without PPB (controls, n = 149) were followed from infancy through approximately 9 years of age. Infant motor skills were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (Bayley-3), and cognition was assessed using the Differential Ability Scales, 2nd edition (DAS-2). The Bayley-3 motor composite was examined as a mediator of the association between PPB and DAS-2 general cognitive ability (GCA) scores. In secondary analyses, mediation models were examined for the DAS-2 verbal ability, nonverbal ability, and working memory scores; models using the Bayley-3 fine versus gross motor scores also were examined.
resultsCases scored lower than controls on the DAS-GCA (β = -4.6; 95% CI = -7.2 to -2.0), with an indirect (mediated) effect of β = -1.5 (95% CI = -2.6 to -0.4) and direct effect of β = -3.1 (95% CI = -5.7 to -0.5). Infant motor skills accounted for approximately 33% of the case-control difference in DAS-2 GCA scores. Results were similar for other DAS-2 outcomes. Evidence of mediation was greater for Bayley-3 gross motor versus fine motor scores.
conclusionInfant motor skills partially mediate the association between PPB and cognition in school-aged children. Monitoring motor development and providing intervention as needed may help offset associated developmental concerns for children with PPB. IMPACT: To our knowledge, this study is the first longitudinal investigation of the development of children with and without PPB from infancy through the early school years and the first to examine motor skills as a mediator of cognitive outcomes in this population. The findings highlight the importance of early motor skills for other developmental outcomes. LAY SUMMARY: Infants' motor skills are related to the development of PPB and its association with later cognition. If your child has PPB, physical therapists may have an important role in assessing and providing treatment to promote motor development.
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