How to prevent and treat plagiocephaly

Plagiocephaly, also known as flat head syndrome, is a common deformational condition which can be seen in babies either from birth or in the first few months of life.  Plagiocephaly occurs when repeated external force causes a baby’s head to take on an abnormal shape, usually a flattening on the back of or side of the head. This can be caused by cramping in the womb ( the condition is much more common in twin, triplets etc.) or post-natally from the baby spending a lot of time in the same position whilst sleeping or in a car seat.  Plagiocephaly is characterised by flattening of one side of the back of the head and can be noticeable from birth, or can present itself in the first few months of life.

Since the early 1990′s there has been a significant increase in the rate of babies with the condition; this is viewed as a side effect of the ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign, which recommends placing babies on their back to sleep in order to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which has duly dropped by 40% since 1992. In accordance with this, it is extremely important parents continue to put their babies to sleep positioned in this manner; plagiocephaly does not cause brain damage and is highly preventable and treatable.

The key way to prevent the development of plagiocephaly is repositioning your baby often, making sure he or she (for the purposes of this article, let’s say he) does not spend too much waking time in anyone position.  The most important way to counter ‘back to sleep’ is the idea of ‘tummy time’. This is supervised playtime whilst your baby lies on his tummy. Some babies do not like this so it is up to you to start early so he gets used to it and make sure you distract him with songs and toys!

Other ways to prevent the development of Plagiocephaly in your young baby is to limit the time he spends in a car seat or bouncy chairs.  Also try carrying him around in a sling on your front during the daytime. As well as other benefits, this will minimise the amount of time he spends on his back. When it is time for bed, place  him on his back, but try to make sure he alternates which side he rests his head on. If he’s developing a preference for one side in particular, try to encourage him to tilt the other way by placing toys, a light or a mobile in that direction.

All these methods are also very useful in treating mild plagiocephaly in babies under seven months. However, if the condition remains after this time or seems particularly severe, further action and treatment may need to be sought out. With the assistance of your doctor plagiocephaly can be treated to some extent with neck exercises and physical therapy.  

More severe and persistent cases may require treatment with a cranial remoulding orthose. This is a custom-made helmet made with measurements using the  most up-to-date non-invasive laser scanning techniques. The helmet gently rounds and symmetricizes the head as it grows,  encouraging development in depressed areas and controlling the growth of prominent areas.  The helmets are usually most effective between the ages of four to eighteen months and normally worn for less than a year. With most Plagiocephaly treatment clinics,  regular check-ups are included in treatment in order for analysis of your baby’s  improvement and any adjustments to be made to the helmet which, though perhaps taking a little while for a baby to get used to, is comfortable and does not harm brain development or growth to the head or hair.

Helmets are the main and most effective treatment for moderate to severe plagiocephaly. With a extremely high success rate and the current, unfortunate tendency of state health organisations to ignore the condition as merely ‘aesthetic’ , the helmets seem the best option for its treatment. Here’s a case study  showing what a difference this treatment makes to both the life of a child and his parents.