Plagiocephaly Treatment And How To Keep Your Baby's Head From Becoming Misshapen

Posted by CAPPS Kids on December 8th, 2015

Plagiocephaly is a condition that refers to an asymmetric head shape. The term is derived from Greek - oblique head. Usually there is flattening of one area of back of the head that causes a flat spot on the head. The condition is also referred to as positional plagio or deformational plagiocephaly. Pediatricians have found that there are an increasing numbers of babies referred to them with plagiocephaly and they coincide with advice for babies to sleep on their backs. When your baby sleeps on his back it is considered very safe as research has proved it as the safest position to sleep for babies.

By careful positioning of your baby and avoiding extended periods when your baby is on his/her back, you can preserve his/her head shape and avoid the condition of plagiocephaly. Usually helmets to correct the shape of a baby’s head are considered as the effective option for Plagiocephaly Treatment if repositioning has failed and the baby is four months or older. Since most infants spend their time sleeping during the first six months of their life their brain grows quickly. Despite the fact that their head is shaped beautifully at birth it can develop a flat spot. The reason for this are the soft bones in the newborn’s head.

The infant is at risk if it lies in the same position for a length of time as the area can become flat. The two most popular treatments for children whose heads do not reshape naturally are counter positioning and corrective helmet therapy.

What is craniosynostosis and how is it treated? Craniosynostosis is a birth defect that causes the gaps between the bones of child's skull to close prior to the normally expected age. There are many types of craniosynostosis. The most common is sagittal synostosis and Metopic Synostosis.

For more information on metopic craniosynotosis or Sagittal Synostosis visit Cappskids.org a resourceful website and specialist directory and condition specific telehealth provider.