Incidence of perinatal complications in children with premature craniosynostosis.

AIMS: To study the incidence of perinatal complications in children diagnosed with premature craniosynostosis and their mothers.
METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to all women (n=220) who delivered a child diagnosed either pre- or postnatally with craniosynostosis and treated at the University Hospital of Innsbruck, Austria between January 1, 1990 and October 10, 2007. The incidence of various complications in the group of children with craniosynostosis was compared with data from the Birth Registry of Tyrol, which served as a comparison population in this study (n=57,317).
RESULTS: A total of 46.4% of the questionnaires were returned (n=102). Children diagnosed with craniosynostosis showed a significantly higher rate of fetal malpresentations at birth [P<0.001; OR 2.38 (CI 1.53-3.70)] compared to the general population. In particular, the rate of abnormal cephalic [P<0.001; OR 3.42 (CI 2.03-5.76)] and breech presentations [P=0.01; OR 2.39 (CI 1.27-4.49)] was significantly increased. In 10% of all neonates the Apgar score (P=0.001) as well as the pH-value (P<0.001) was found to be at least one category lower than in the comparison population.
CONCLUSIONS: Children diagnosed with craniosynostosis have a significantly higher rate of numerous birth complications compared to the overall births documented at the Birth Registry of Tyrol.