Evaluation of neurocogni̇ti̇ve and soci̇al developments after crani̇osynostosi̇s surgery

Objective: While non-syndromic craniosynostosis has been accepted as a cosmetic deformity for many years, it is now discussed that it has negative effects on brain development, even if it is optimally treated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of neurocognitive and social developmental problems in children diagnosed with non-syndromic craniosynostosis and who underwent optimal surgical treatment, by comparing them with a healthy control group of similar age, gender and social status. Methods: 73 pediatric patients aged 2-6 years who had previously been operated for non-syndromic craniosynostosis in Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery and sociodemographically matched 107 healthy children who applied to the outpatient clinic of the same department were included in the study. The neurocognitive and social development scale, which was adapted from Bayley-III Infant and Child Development Scale by Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Neurology, was applied to the parents of the children participating in the study. The scale includes "Social Development", "Gross Motor Development", "Fine Motor Development" and "Language Development" sections. Results: Social developmental problems and gross motor developmental problems were not found in the patients who underwent optimal surgical treatment for non-syndromic craniosynostosis. The risk of fine motor developmental deficiencies were 4.79 times higher than the normal population, and the risk of language developmental deficiencies were 5.75 times higher than the normal population. No differences associated with suture site were found. Conclusions: Although non-syndromic craniosynostosis is treated at the right time, problems may occur in the neurocognitive and social development of children in the long term. For this reason, it is recommended that these patients should be followed up after the surgical treatment is completed, their development should be examined in detail in a multidisciplinary manner, and their development should be brought to the normal range with physical and psychological treatment methods when possible developmental problems are detected.