Three-dimensional analysis of cranial growth from 6 to 12 months of age.

The aim of this study was to generate three-dimensional data of the physiological growth of the infant's cranium in the significant growth phase from 6 to 12 months of age. In a longitudinal observational study non-invasive 3D data using an optical surface scanner were generated of the entire head of 52 Caucasian infants (27 females and 25 males) between the ages of 6 (T1) and 12 (T2) months. The circumference of the head increased by 6.51 per cent (from 43.50 to 46.33cm). Analysis of width and length showed that the head grows 2.84 per cent more in length, resulting in a decrease in the cranial index of 2.52 per cent (from 83.87 to 81.76 per cent). The highest increment observed was in the total volume of the cranium, with an increase of 18.76 per cent (from 1229.01 to 1459.57cm(3)). Comparison of the left and right sides of the head by measuring the diagonal symmetry difference showed a difference of only 0.37cm. Overall, the symmetry-related parameters showed an almost symmetric development of the cranium in infants. The findings should provide valuable information on physiological growth and development of the infant's cranium. Therefore the high growth rate of the cranium in the first year of life suggests that this period is a critical period in which the disruption of developmental processes may have long-lasting effects on the morphology of the cranium with a prognostically unfavourable effect of the further growth of the viscerocranium.