A dublini Trinity College világhírű egyetemével kutatott és fejlesztett ClevaFoam® technológiánkat kifejezetten csecsemők számára fejlesztették ki, tervezték és gyártották.
A ClevaFoam® alátámasztja a baba gyorsan növekvő testét és a fejlődő ízületeket, védi a baba puha fejének kerek formáját, segít megelőzni a fiatal csecsemőknél gyakori Plagiocephaly (lapos fej szindróma) kialakulását. Ez az egyetlen tudományosan
bizonyított termék, amely 50% -kal csökkenti a csecsemő fejének hátuljára nehezedő nyomást, és 80% -kal növeli az alátámasztást (Trinity College, University of Dublin, Írország).
Hipoallergén, kiegyensúlyozott pH-értékű és toxinmentes. Ideális csecsemőknek, asztmás és allergiás gyermekeknek.
Deformational Plagiocephaly (DP), a medical condition more commonly known as ‘flat head syndrome’ (FHS), which occurs when an infant’s head becomes flatten and or misshaped due to the head continually resting on a surface that does not conform or support the shape of a baby’s head. Infant heads are soft to allow for the initial passage through the birth canal and then the incredible brain growth that occurs in the first year of life. During the early months of life they are more susceptible to being “molded” into a flat shape or taking the form of the surface that the skull is in contact with.
Plagiocephaly develops when an infant’s rapidly growing head attempts to expand, and meets some type of resistance— either prenatally in the mother’s womb, or more commonly after delivery because the back or side of a baby’s head is pressed against a mattress, car seat or other flat surface.
This condition affects many infants, especially since the widespread introduction of the “Back to Sleep” campaign which recommends that babies are placed to sleep on their back (supine sleep) that was introduced in 1994 and has made significant inroads to reducing the number of SID’s (Cot Deaths) by an estimated 46% in some countries. However, the by-product of the supine sleeping is a significant increase of FHS which is now at epidemic proportions according the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) affecting nearly 50% of all baby by the age of 2 moments. (www.aap.org, 2013)
Babies suffering from Torticollis are also at risk of developing FHS due the nature of the condition which is a tight or shortened muscle in one side of the neck causes the head to tilt or turn to one side, resulting in the infant resting its head in the same position.
A report issued by the AAP looked at the long term developmental outcomes in infants with FHS. More evidence is emerging but it has long since been acknowledged by the medical profession that the affects of FHS are not limited to aesthetics.
Infants with FHS comprise of a high-risk group for development difficulties presenting as subtle problems during the school-age years. Many studies have indicated other issues include the Miller and Clarren report (Robert I Miller) that showed 39.37% of patients with FHS required an individual education plan. In a report issued in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioural Pediatrics on Neurodevelopmental Implications of “Deformational” Plagiocephaly show that 33% of patients displayed mild to significant mental developmental issues when measure against the MDI (Mental Developmental Index – BSID- III). Further studies indicate that before any intervention, infants with deformational plagiocephaly show significant delays in both mental and psychomotor development. Also of particular note is that no child with deformational plagiocephaly showed accelerated development. (Kordestani, 2006)
In recent years the use of orthotic helmets have been used to correct the symmetry of infants heads and increasingly surgery has been conducted. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal into the use of orthotic helmets and bands used by infants from as young as 6 months and for up to 23 hours a day for a typical period of 3 months shows that these do not work and the therapy results is so insignificant and the use of them has been discourage. (BMJ , 2014). In addition, the report also states that infant found them uncomfortable and parents found them difficult. A certain amount of prone positioning, or “tummy time,” while the infant is awake and being observed is recommended to help prevent the development plagiocephaly. This will also facilitate development of the upper shoulder girdle strength necessary for timely attainment of certain motor milestones. Avoidance of prolonged placement indoors in car safety seats and swings should be discouraged.
Dr Genevieve Keating reports that “Children who have less interference to their nervous system have a better chance of making sense of their world and their place in it. They have a better opportunity to develop good motor patterns and balance, good emotional regulation and better learning strategies for the future.” (Keating) .
This is one of the main reason why Prof. Michael J Earley, a Craniofacial Surgeon from the Children’s University Hospital in Dublin has endorsed ClevaFoam by saying “Having worked with Trinity College on this product, I am all in favour of this device as craniofacial surgery is a last resort and prevention is better than cure.”
A dublini Trinity College világhírű egyetemével együttműködve a ClevaMama® átfogó vizsgálatot végzett a Deformációs Plagiocephaly, más néven lapos fej szindróma témában. Ez a kutatás a ClevaFoam® kifejlesztéséhez vezetett, amely az egyetlen nem invazív segédeszköz, amely bizonyítottan segít a lapos fej szindróma megelőzésében és korrekciójában.
A Trinity College Centre for Bioengineering kutatói biomechanikai elemzést végeztek a csecsemő koponyája és a különböző hordozóanyagok érintkezéséről ágynyugalom közben. Megállapították, hogy a ClevaFoam® csökkenti a csecsemő koponyájára nehezedő nyomást, amely akár 50% -kal súlyosbítja a lapos fej szindrómát, és 80% -kal növeli az alátámasztást.
A tanulmány mind a csecsemő fejének alacsonyabb stressz-eloszlását, mind az alacsonyabb törzsenergia-sűrűséget állapította meg a ClevaFoam® termékek használatakor.
Deformational plagiocephaly is a medical condition, common for infants, describing local flattening of regions of the skull due to persistent localised pressure. Incidence has risen dramatically since the advent of recommendations to place sleeping infants on their backs as a preventative measure against sudden infant death syndrome. Although several treatment options exist there is scope for utilisation of passive devices during the early weeks and months after birth when infants are more prone to development of the condition due to relatively low levels of activity.
A study was undertaken to investigate the use of a polyurethane foam pillow (specifically a ClevaMama® ClevaFoam®) as a means of reducing contact pressure to the occipital region of an infant skull during supine bed rest. Preliminary characterisations of (i) the ClevaFoam® used in the pillow and (ii) a generic infant mattress were carried out to define relevant support conditions for the desired analyses. A finite element model of an infant cranium was constructed, taking account of relevant structural features for the analysis of skull contact behavior. Simulations of the skull were performed for (i) normal bed rest on the generic mattress and (ii) resting on the ClevaFoam® pillow, which was in turn supported by the mattress from (i). The foam and mattress were successfully characterized for the purposes of the study.
Simulation of the two bed rest cases predicted that use of ClevaFoam® would reduce the mean contact pressure in the occipital region by increasing contact area and conformity. Furthermore, local tissue loading was also predicted to decrease with the use of ClevaFoam®. Predictions of the study were within range of values reported in the literature.
In conclusion, simulations of supine rest of an infant cranium in contact with (i) a generic infant mattress and (ii) a ClevaMama® ClevaFoam® Baby Pillow supported a hypothesis that use of the ClevaFoam® can reduce mean contact pressure at the occiput by increasing contact area through greater conformant deformation.
Figure 13: Cross-sectional view of contact areas between skull and each support material: (a) mattress and (b) foam pillow. Yellow regions indicate contact areas between the various bodies in the model.
Fig. 14. Oblique view of occipital contact areas (yellow regions) for (a) standard mattress and (b) ClevaFoam®support condition. Greater contact area is apparent for the ClevaFoam model.
A benefit of using the finite element method is the ability to predict internal loading and deformation of the tissues. Two measures of loading were examined for the two models: von Mises stress (indicative of the forces generated within the tissue) and strain energy density (indicative of the energy of deformation). Contours of stress (Fig. 15) show that stress was not distributed uniformly within the contact region. Local concentrations were predicted around the suture regions for both models. In particular local stress in these regions was up to an order of magnitude higher than the man contact pressure. Furthermore, a larger region of highly loaded tissue was predicted for the occipital region of the mattress support. This trend was more pronounced when examining the strain energy density of the exterior cranial tissue (Fig. 16). Both stress and strain-energy density were more localized to the sutures for the pillow support condition. In general, stresses were relatively low (< 25 kPa) in the occipital region of both models.
Figure 15: Von Mises stress distribution in occipital region of skull for each support type: (a) mattress and (b) foam pillow. Lower stresses were predicted for the foam pillow support condition.
Figure 16: Strain energy density for occipital region of skull for each support type: (a) mattress and (b) pillow. Lower strain energy density was predicted for the foam pillow support condition.
In conclusion, simulations of supine rest of an infant cranium in contact with two different supporting materials, (i) a generic infant mattress and (ii) a Clevamama® ClevaFoam™ Baby Pillow, supported a hypothesis that use of the compliant polyurethane foam pillow can reduce mean contact pressure at the occiput by increasing contact area through greater conformant deformation. This study represents a first step in determining the local mechanical environment in the tissue of the contact region for an infant head resting in a supine position. The ability to study this mechanical environment opens the possibility of further study of the role of mechanical loading in the development of deformational plagiocephaly.