Heads UpIt's normal for your baby's head to be slightly misshapen for a few days or even weeks after the birth, usually due to the passage down the birth canal. However, some parents notice a persistent flat spot, often at the back or down one side of their baby's head which may be an indication of a condition known as positional or deformational plagiocephaly. Read on to find out more about this condition and how it can be treated.
What is plagiocephaly?Also known as flattened head syndrome, deformational plagiocephaly - often shortened to plagio - is the general term for the most common type of flattening on one side of a baby's head. Deformational brachycephaly (or brachy) is a flattening across the back of a baby's head. The two types of problem often occur together. What causes it?Your baby's skull is made up of several plates of bone which are not tightly joined together. As he grows older, the bones gradually fuse - or stick - together. At birth and during infancy, the bones are soft enough to be moulded, and this means their shape can be altered by pressure on it. Since the introduction of the Back to Sleep campaign in 1992, where parents are encouraged to sleep their babies on their backs to help prevent cot death, the number of cases of plagiocephaly have risen in line with the 70 per cent reduction in the number of cot deaths. However, whilst lying your baby on their backs to sleep really is a matter of life and death, experts recommend the 'tummy to play' approach so that pressure is taken off the flattened area, allowing time for the head to grow in the right places and help lessen the risk of plagiocephaly. This means laying your baby on his tummy while he is awake and playing.
Can it be prevented?Positional plagiocephaly cannot be prevented completely but repositioning techniques can help to encourage the head to grow more symmetrically. Plagiocephaly UK recommend the following tips: When asleep:
When playing:
When travelling:
Is it dangerous?Plagiocephaly is a cosmetic problem and there has been no research to say that it is at all dangerous. However, Plagiocephaly UK say that these children's futures could consist of playground taunts, lingering emotional distress into adulthood, or medical complaints such as headaches and eye, ear and jaw problems. How is it treated?Repositioning treatment can be very effective, up until a baby is about seven months old. The aims of repositioning are to encourage the baby to rest his head on the non-flattened areas, to avoid any systematic pressure that will continue to flatten it. However, for older children this type of treatment will not work. Claire Kerr noticed her baby Toby's head was becoming flat when he was less than three months old. She says, "I talked to a couple of different health visitors about it when I went to the baby clinic to have Toby weighed. They said that it would eventually round out on its own and that his hair would grow to cover it in the future." However, by the time her son was 9 months old his head remained flattened and she searched the internet to find out more about the condition. For Toby, repositioning wasn't an option because he was already too old for it to work, but through her searches, Claire had discovered another therapy - cranial remoulding. Using a type of band or helmet - medically known as an orthosis - cranial remoulding therapy allows the head to gradually reshape as it grows. Helmets can effectively treat the deformational head shape problem. They are custom-made and work by gently holding the areas of the head that are already overly large, while allowing the smaller areas room to grow. With regular update appointments, the specialist can adapt the band so that growth is directed to the areas that need it. Gradually, these areas "catch up" with the rest of the head, resulting in a more normal shape. The band does not prevent normal brain and head growth. Depending on the initial severity of deformity and the baby's age, a band is usually worn for about twelve to sixteen weeks. The ideal age to start treatment is four to seven months, but remoulding can be started up to the age of fourteen months. Generally, better results are achieved within a shorter time if treatment is started at a younger age. Claire says Toby quickly adjusted to wearing the helmet and family and friends just see it as part of him now. "It's only for a few short months - as opposed to a lifetime of possible problems - and if we hadn't gone ahead with the treatment, his head would have been flat for life. Instead, it's rounding out beautifully and we only have a few more weeks to go before we can enjoy the final result." Stuart Korth, Consultant in Paediatric Osteopathy and Director, Osteopathic Centre for Children, says, "I used to be against helmets, but have changed my mind. They offer the best cosmetic solution for a good many cases of plagiocephaly, and, so far, I have seen no adverse effects." He agrees that their use in the UK is limited but feels that the condition does need to be monitored, regardless of whether helmets are used or not. "Paediatric osteopathy is of value in most cases of plagiocephaly," he says, adding, "Cosmetic improvement is most likely with a helmet, though." Find out moreSTARband™ Or contact The Osteopathic Centre for Children OCC London OCC Manchester Where to next?
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