Risk for Developmental Delay in Non-Syndromic Craniosynostosis

Non-syndromic craniosynostosis is a craniofacial condition where there is a premature fusion of a calvarial suture. There are four subtypes of craniosynostosis, each one reflecting the suture that is fused (metopic, sagittal, coronal synostosis, and lambdoid synostosis). Research suggests that non-syndromic craniosynostosis is associated with an increased risk of developmental delay, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities. This was an archival study with 30 participants being treated at the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Craniofacial Team Center. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between risk for developmental delay and type of craniosynostosis using the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener. The study also investigated the relationship between risk for developmental delay and surgical treatment. Results indicated a significant relationship between subtypes of craniosynostosis and risk for developmental delay, with sagittal craniosynostosis being more likely to be at low risk for delay than metopic and coronal synostoses. There was no relationship between risk for delay and surgical treatment, likely due to a small sample size. Exploratory analyses indicated that children with craniosynostosis were more likely to be at risk for developmental delay than the general population aged 0-2 years. Future studies should focus on longitudinal designs