Plagiocephaly

The joints between the bones of babies’ skulls are relatively soft. This allows for movement during birth, and minimises restriction of the brain’s growth. It also means that the head can become misshapen if pressure from the outside is too much.

What is Plagiocephaly?

Plagiocephaly is also known as “flat head syndrome”. Simply, the head is flattened at the back, either centrally or off to one side. When one part of the head is flattened, another area has to compensate. As a result, babies with flattening at the back of the head often have a relative bulge somewhere at the front of the head.

When the flattening is at the very back of the head, this is known as brachycephaly. Plagiocephaly refers more specifically to off-centre flattening of the back.

This is a very common condition, affecting most babies in the first few months of life.

How Does Plagiocephaly Happen?

In short, pressure at the same point of the head for too long is the cause. Cases have risen over the last few years. This may coincide with the guidelines on safe sleep: for babies to sleep on their backs on a relatively hard mattress. Although they may have caused a rise in plagiocephaly cases, they are also associated with reduced infant mortality. You should not compromise safe sleep for the sake of head shape.

Sometimes pressure is focused to one side of the head because the baby only turns their head one way. Torticollis is a potential cause of this, which may have been present since before birth. This is when the muscles on one side of the neck become tight, often in response to positioning in the womb or strain during birth. Symptoms can be subtle, and sometimes it takes close monitoring to realise that your baby favours one side over the other.

Your paediatric osteopath can help with the tight muscles of torticollis.

Should I be Worried?

The effects of plagiocephaly are mostly cosmetic, and minor cases tend to resolve over time. Helmets to correct head asymmetry are not well supported by evidence.

You can help your baby’s progress by minimising the repetitive pressure that caused the asymmetry. As your baby gets more mobile, you can encourage them to move through a number of different positions. Tummy time is an important position to work on as it encourages the strengthening of the neck, back, arms, and abdominal muscles. When these muscles are stronger, your baby will be better prepared for sitting, standing, and rolling over. If your baby resists tummy time, your osteopath will be able to advise if there is a musculoskeletal reason for this.

Craniosynstosis is a condition that also causes unusual head shapes, but for a different reason. In some cases, one or more of the joints of the skull fuses early, reducing the potential for growth at that point. Other times it is caused by anomalies in brain growth. Your osteopath will be looking for signs of craniosynstosis, and can refer your baby on if needed.

You can make an appointment in Flitwick here with our paediatric osteopath, Silva Schuldt.