PLAGIOCEPHALY Symptoms-Causes-Treatment
What is Plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome)?
Positional plagiocephaly occurs when a baby's head develops a flat spot or becomes asymmetrical due to some kind of external pressure. Many babies are born with an abnormally shaped head as a result of the pressure exerted on them during birth, but most babies' heads will correct themselves within about six weeks.
If your baby's head remains asymmetrical beyond age 6 weeks, or if you start to notice a flat area after 6 weeks of age, you'll want to see your baby's doctor for referral to a specialist. (Babies with severe plagiocephaly may also have prominent foreheads, misaligned ears, and uneven facial features.)
Positional plagiocephaly is similar to and often mistaken for craniosynostosis, a more serious congenital condition in which one or more joints between the bones of the skull close up too early and the baby's head becomes deformed.
What causes plagiocephaly?
Babies are born with a soft, pliable skull, and when they sleep on their back every night, their head can develop a flat spot where it presses against the mattress. This happens most often in infants who are born with a common form of torticollis, a condition in which a tight or shortened muscle on one side of the neck causes the head to tilt to one side. Premature babies are particularly at risk. A baby may also develop an abnormally shaped head if development in the womb is constricted somehow. This can happen when there's more than one fetus, if the mother's uterus or pelvis is especially small, or if there's too much or too little amniotic fluid. It can also happen to a breech baby whose head gets wedged under the mother's ribs.
What are the treatments?
If your baby's plagiocephaly is severe, he'll probably have to wear a special custom-fitted cranial orthotic for 23 or 24 hours a day to correct the shape of his skull. This treatment generally lasts from two to six months, depending on how early you start and how severe the problem is.
What is Plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome)?
Positional plagiocephaly occurs when a baby's head develops a flat spot or becomes asymmetrical due to some kind of external pressure. Many babies are born with an abnormally shaped head as a result of the pressure exerted on them during birth, but most babies' heads will correct themselves within about six weeks.
If your baby's head remains asymmetrical beyond age 6 weeks, or if you start to notice a flat area after 6 weeks of age, you'll want to see your baby's doctor for referral to a specialist. (Babies with severe plagiocephaly may also have prominent foreheads, misaligned ears, and uneven facial features.)
Positional plagiocephaly is similar to and often mistaken for craniosynostosis, a more serious congenital condition in which one or more joints between the bones of the skull close up too early and the baby's head becomes deformed.
What causes plagiocephaly?
Babies are born with a soft, pliable skull, and when they sleep on their back every night, their head can develop a flat spot where it presses against the mattress. This happens most often in infants who are born with a common form of torticollis, a condition in which a tight or shortened muscle on one side of the neck causes the head to tilt to one side. Premature babies are particularly at risk. A baby may also develop an abnormally shaped head if development in the womb is constricted somehow. This can happen when there's more than one fetus, if the mother's uterus or pelvis is especially small, or if there's too much or too little amniotic fluid. It can also happen to a breech baby whose head gets wedged under the mother's ribs.
What are the treatments?
If your baby's plagiocephaly is severe, he'll probably have to wear a special custom-fitted cranial orthotic for 23 or 24 hours a day to correct the shape of his skull. This treatment generally lasts from two to six months, depending on how early you start and how severe the problem is.