Sporting activity after craniosynostosis surgery in children: a source of parental anxiety

Sports participation after craniosynostosis repair: the critical role of post-operative guidance in parental decision-making

PURPOSE

Despite previous research supporting patient safety in sports after craniosynostosis surgery, parental anxiety remains high. This study sought to evaluate the role of healthcare providers in guiding patients and families through the decision-making process.

METHODS

Parents of children with repaired craniosynostosis were asked to assess sports involvement and parental decision-making in children ages 6 and older. Questions were framed primarily on 5-point Likert scales. Sport categorizations were made in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Chi-squared, linear regression, and Pearson correlation tests were used to analyze associations between the questions.

RESULTS

Forty-three complete parental responses were recorded. Mean ages at surgery and time of sports entry were 7.93 ± 4.73 months and 4.76 ± 2.14 years, respectively. Eighty-two percent of patients participated in a contact sport. Discussions with the primary surgeon were more impactful on parental decisions about sports participation than those with other healthcare providers (4.04 ± 1.20 vs. 2.69 ± 1.32). Furthermore, children whose parents consulted with the primary surgeon began participating in sports at a younger age (4.0 ± 1.0 vs. 5.8 ± 2.7 years, p = 0.034). The mean comfort level with contact sports (2.8 ± 1.4) was lower than that with limited-contact (3.8 ± 1.1, p = 0.0001) or non-contact (4.4 ± 1.3, p < 0.0001) sports.

CONCLUSION

This study underscores the critical role that healthcare professionals, primarily surgeons, have in guiding families through the decision-making process regarding their children's participation in contact sports.

Sport participation and related head injuries following craniosynostosis correction: a survey study

OBJECTIVE

Craniosynostosis (CS) affects about 1 in 2500 infants and is predominantly treated by surgical intervention in infancy. Later in childhood, many of these children wish to participate in sports. However, the safety of participation is largely anecdotal and based on surgeon experience. The objective of this survey study was to describe sport participation and sport-related head injury in CS patients.

METHODS

A 16-question survey related to child/parent demographics, CS surgery history, sport history, and sport-induced head injury history was made available to patients/parents in the United States through a series of synostosis organization listservs, as well as synostosis-focused Facebook groups, between October 2019 and June 2020. Sports were categorized based on the American Academy of Pediatrics groupings. Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and the independent-samples t-test were used in the analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, 187 CS patients were described as 63% male, 89% White, and 88% non-Hispanic, and 89% underwent surgery at 1 year or younger. The majority (74%) had participated in sports starting at an average age of 5 years (SD 2.2). Of those participating in sports, contact/collision sport participation was most common (77%), and 71% participated in multiple sports. Those that played sports were less frequently Hispanic (2.2% vs 22.9%, p < 0.001) and more frequently had undergone a second surgery (44% vs 25%, p = 0.021). Only 9 of 139 (6.5%) sport-participating CS patients suffered head injuries; 6 (67%) were concussions and the remaining 3 were nondescript but did not mention any surgical needs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationwide survey of postsurgical CS patients and parents, sport participation was exceedingly common, with contact sports being the most common sport category. Few head injuries (mostly concussions) were reported as related to sport participation. Although this is a selective sample of CS patients, the initial data suggest that sport participation, even in contact sports, and typically beginning a few years after CS correction, is safe and commonplace.