Prevention of Head Deformity in Children Undergoing Medical Care at Home

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13562
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: University of Tokyo Health Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Uchio Yuu 東京医療学院大学, 保健医療学部, 助教 (10893844)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 頭部変形 / 運動発達 / 医療的ケア児 / 早産児 / 枕

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the onset of head deformity and motor development in children undergoing medical care at home. The results demonstrated that asymmetrical head deformities were predominantly mild to moderate among the children undergoing medical care; however, their occurrence was relatively frequent. In association with motor development, the children with severe head deformity exhibited delayed development in the supine, sitting, and standing positions compared with those with less severe head deformity. This suggests that children undergoing medical care with severe head deformity are more likely to experience delayed development of supine and antigravity postures and susceptible to asymmetric external forces on the head in the backward lying position.

Free Research Field

子ども学および保育学関連　リハビリテーション医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

周産期医療の進歩により，医療的ケア児は増加傾向にあり，これらの多くの児が在宅で過ごすようになっている．医療的ケア児は生命維持，呼吸循環，栄養などの問題に着目がなされるが，近年，頭部変形が発達，視覚や歯のかみ合わせなどへ影響することが指摘されている．本研究の成果は，こうした在宅の現場において，医療従事者や児の保護者にとって，どのような医療的ケア児に頭部変形を生じやすいのか，頭部変形は予防できる可能性があるのかを示した．