Assessing Neck Position in Infants with Upper Cervical Spine Dysfunction
Author Information
Author(s): Langenfeld Anke, Paravicini Inga, Hobaek Siegenthaler Mette, Wehrli Martina, Häusler Melanie, Bergander Torsten, Schweinhardt Petra
Primary Institution: Department of Chiropractic Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital and University of Zurich
Hypothesis
Can parents accurately assess their infant's cervical spine rotation preference compared to clinician and objective assessments?
Conclusion
Parents' assessments of their infants' cervical spine rotation preferences align well with clinician evaluations, suggesting their input is valuable in clinical assessments.
Supporting Evidence
- Parents' assessments correlated highly with clinician evaluations (rs = 0.687, p < 0.001).
- Infants' mean age was 145 days, with a birth weight of 3328 g.
- 33 infants were assessed as right-preferred and 30 as left-preferred by parents.
Takeaway
This study shows that parents can help doctors understand how their baby's neck is positioned, which is important for treatment.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study involving 69 infants aged three to six months, assessing cervical spine rotation preference through parent and clinician evaluations and objective measurements using inertial measurement units.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on subjective assessments from parents and clinicians.
Limitations
All infants were assessed by the same clinician, which may have influenced the outcomes.
Participant Demographics
Infants aged three to six months, with 45 males and 24 females; 58 infants had head asymmetry.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI −0.597–0.737
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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