FLAT HEAD SYNDROME

Overview and Facts

The flat head syndrome, also called positional plagiocephaly, is a condition when a newborn sleeps with their head turned to the same side for the first few months after birth. This results in a flat surface on one side or the rear of the head. A baby’s sleep posture is the most prevalent cause of a flattened head.

Because infants spend so much time laying on their backs, the head might flatten in one location. This occurs not just when they are sleeping but also while they are in baby car seats, carriages, and bouncy chairs. Moreover, premature babies have a higher chance of having a flat head syndrome since their skulls are softer than those normal infants’.

Types and Symptoms

SYMPTOMS

In extreme situations, the forehead may expand on the opposite side of the flattening and seem uneven. If torticollis is the reason, the face, neck, and jaw may be unequal as well. Moreover, flattened head syndrome symptoms to be observed include the following:

  • One side of the baby’s head is flatter than the other
  • The baby’s head has less hair
  • At the baby’s head, the flattened side’s ear may seem pushed forwards.

Diagnosis & Medications

DIAGNOSIS

Doctors often diagnose a flat head syndrome by examining the baby’s head shape. They do this to keep track of healthy development and look for any flat patches. Furthermore, a basic physical test to examine the head and neck muscles are used to diagnose. If your child’s doctor suspects craniosynostosis, they may prescribe imaging to look more closely at the skull.

TREATMENT

Treatments will be determined by the severity of your baby’s illness as well as the likely cause of the flat head syndrome. These may include:

Molding Helmet Therapy. This treatment entails the newborn wearing a custom-molded helmet or band that gradually helps remodel the skull into a symmetrical shape.

Position therapy. In this therapy, you should know your baby’s shifting position.

Exercises. Your doctor may advise you to conduct stretching exercises to expand their neck’s range of motion.

Surgery. When sutures have closed and pressure in the skull has to be relieved, it is required in most instances of congenital plagiocephaly.

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