Parent-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life at 3 Years of Age in Children Treated for Sagittal or Metopic Synostosis

Early surgical intervention is recommended for sagittal (SS) and metopic (MS) synostosis to correct head shape and reduce the risk of later social stigmatization. However, the impact of craniosynostosis (CS) and its surgical treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in early childhood remains insufficiently understood. To evaluate parent-reported HRQoL at 3 years of age in children treated for SS or MS. At the 3-year follow-up, parents of children treated for SS or MS completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) version 2 to 4 years. Age- and nationality-matched healthy controls were recruited from child health care centers. The study included 138 children treated for CS (SS, n=94; MS, n=44) and 104 controls. Compared with controls, children treated for SS had higher total PedsQL scores ( P <0.0001, effect size=0.86) and higher scores in physical, emotional, and social functioning (all P <0.0001; effect sizes 0.58–0.78). Daycare functioning was also significantly higher for SS compared with controls. ( P =0.018, effect size=0.34). No significant differences were found between the MS and controls. Compared with the MS group, the SS group had higher total PedsQL scores ( P =0.0002, effect size=0.77) and higher scores in physical ( P <0.0001, effect size=0.71), emotional ( P =0.024, effect size=0.43), social ( P =0.0021, effect size=0.62), and daycare functioning ( P =0.001, effect size=0.68). At 3 years of age, children treated for SS had higher parent-reported HRQoL than both healthy controls and children treated for MS, whereas children treated for MS did not differ from controls.