Factors ID’d That May Impact Surgical Timing in Craniosynostosis

MONDAY, April 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For infants with craniosynostosis, socioeconomic disadvantages and comorbid conditions are more prevalent among those undergoing delayed cranial vault remodeling (CVR), according to a study published in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Noting that children with craniosynostosis who undergo CVR after versus before 12 months of age have been reported to experience delayed neurocognitive development, Jeremy V. Lynn, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined factors potentially confounding this relationship. Data were included for 227 patients with nonsyndromic single-suture craniosynostosis who underwent CVR between 2009 and 2020. The sample was dichotomized to compare those undergoing CVR before (early) and after (late) 12 months of age (157 and 70 patients, respectively).

Compared with the early group, the researchers found that the late group included a larger proportion of patients who identified as non-White, qualified for need-based financial assistance, were born preterm, and had a comorbid condition. Relative to the early group, the late group contained a larger proportion of patients with baseline cognitive and language delays based on preoperative testing.

"Multiple factors may affect cognitive outcomes in infants undergoing craniosynostosis surgery, regardless of patient age at the time of surgery," a coauthor said in a statement. "Our study suggests that children who undergo surgery later have characteristics that independently predispose them to both delayed surgery and impaired neurocognitive development."

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