Less commonly, an uneven head shape happens when the bones of the skull fuse together too soon. If the deformation is moderate or severe and not responding to position changes, helmet therapy may help. Flat spots may also improve, especially with position changes and extra While an asymmetrical head shape is a common cause of concern for new parents, a baby's head typically rounds out after birth. Because the individual bones of a newborn's skull aren't yet fused together, pressure from resting in the same position can cause an infant's head to be misshapen. Putting your baby to sleep on their stomach or side increases the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI).It is not unusual for a baby's head to look a little lopsided. Putting your baby on their back for sleep is the safest sleeping position. This will encourage your baby to turn their head to that side. Play with your baby from the side they like least – for example, when you talk, sing or shake a rattle, or put toys near your baby.When your baby is awake, give them tummy time or time on their side during supervised play.When using the change table or cot, alternate the end where you put your baby’s head.Try to alternate your baby’s head position between right and left when they’re sleeping on their back.There are several things you can do to prevent your baby from developing plagiocephaly: carrying your baby in certain ways – your health professionals will advise you.įor severe plagiocephaly, your specialist might recommend that your child wears a specially fitted helmet, which takes the pressure off the flat spot and allows your child’s head shape to change as their head grows.giving your baby tummy time and time on their side when they’re awake.encouraging motor skills like rolling, reaching and turning.doing gentle exercises and stretches with your baby to improve their neck movements.repositioning your baby so they avoid lying on the flat head spot when awake.If your baby needs treatment, your GP or nurse might recommend you see a paediatric physiotherapist, paediatrician or plastic surgeon, who’ll develop a treatment plan. When your baby starts to spend less time on their back and more time on their tummy or sitting up, there’ll be less pressure on the back of their head. This is because your baby’s head shape will naturally change as their head grows and their gross motor skills develop. It’s likely to fix itself as your baby grows. Often, mild plagiocephaly doesn’t need treatment. difficulty turning their head left or right.a strong preference for turning their head to one side.a strangely shaped head or a flat spot, which hasn’t gone back to a typical shape by about 2 months of age.See your GP or child and family health nurse if you’re concerned about your baby’s head shape, or your baby has: Medical help: when to get it for children with plagiocephaly or flat head Your baby’s ears might look uneven, and their forehead might be more prominent compared to the rest of their head. Your baby might have an uneven head shape, a flat head or flattened sections at the back or side of their head. This article is only about deformational plagiocephaly. There’s another type of plagiocephaly called synostotic plagiocephaly or craniosynostosis. The proper medical name for this type of plagiocephaly is deformational plagiocephaly. Later in infancy, some babies with severe plagiocephaly might have a delay in the development of gross motor skills. In some babies, more severe plagiocephaly can be caused by tight neck muscles (congenital muscular torticollis), which means babies have a strong preference for turning their heads to one side. So plagiocephaly sometimes happens when babies lie with their heads in the same position for a long time. This means that the heads of newborn babies can change shape easily. This can be caused by the head’s position in the uterus during pregnancy, or it can happen because of the squashy passage down the birth canal.Īlso, newborn skull bones are soft, thin and flexible. Plagiocephaly can be mild, moderate or severe.īabies are often born with misshapen heads. It can also be a flattened spot on the back or side of a baby’s head. Plagiocephaly is an uneven or asymmetrical head shape – a ‘flat head’.
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