Academic Journal

CPAP caps are associated with restricted head growth and altered skull morphology in newborn infants

Bibliographic Details
Title: CPAP caps are associated with restricted head growth and altered skull morphology in newborn infants
Authors: Sebastian Jacob, Nancy Wetzel, Annett Bläser, Ulrich Herbert Thome, Rudolf Georg Ascherl
Source: Frontiers in Pediatrics, Vol 13 (2025)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Pediatrics
Subject Terms: CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), neonatology, preterm (birth), head circumference, ear-to-ear (E2E), growth, Pediatrics, RJ1-570
Description: BackgroundContinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices for preterm infants are commonly affixed using snug-fitting caps. Monitoring of head growth is standard practice in preterm infants, as stagnant head growth has been associated with impaired neurodevelopmental outcome. However, a stagnant head circumference may not mean stagnant head growth since vertical head distortion has been repeatedly observed. Previously established centiles for ear-to-ear distances and head volume indices allow the evaluation of three-dimensional head growth. We hypothesized that CPAP duration may be associated with restricted head circumference gain, altered skull morphology, and possibly neurodevelopment.Patients and methodsAll 4590 infants treated with CPAP in the neonatal wards of Leipzig University Medical Center between 2009 and 2020 were included in our study. Body weight, body length, occipitofrontal head circumference (OFC), and transvertical (vEED) and transfontanellar ear-to-ear (fEED) distances were measured repeatedly. Head eccentricity (ECC) (a measure of disproportional head growth) and head volume indices (HVI) were calculated. Anthropometric data were z-transformed. A total of 367 infants were followed up for assessment of neurodevelopmental outcomes using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (third edition). Associations between cumulative cap time and anthropometric data were examined using unconditional growth models with linear mixed effects. Associations between head growth development and neurodevelopmental outcome were examined by correlating individual regression slopes of anthropometric data with Bayley scores.ResultsCumulative cap time was negatively associated with z-scores of OFC (β=−1.32×10−2, p0.05), and HVI (β=−1.59×10−2, p
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2296-2360
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1514853/full; https://doaj.org/toc/2296-2360
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2025.1514853
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/6a81991680194cd88e7c9a1711e5ecd8
Accession Number: edsdoj.6a81991680194cd88e7c9a1711e5ecd8
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
Description
ISSN:22962360
DOI:10.3389/fped.2025.1514853