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Technically,
plagiocephaly is "a malformation of the head marked by an
oblique slant to the main axis of the skull." However, more
recently, the term has been applied to any condition
characterized by a persistent flatten spot on the back or
side of the head (also know as
flat head syndrome).
It is important to distinguish
between abnormal head shape
caused by positioning (or
deformation) and abnormal
head shape caused the
premature closure of cranial sutures (know as
craniosynostosis). Positional (or deformational)
abnormal head shapes can
be corrected without surgery (by
repositioning or
cranial orthoses).
Synostotic abnormal head
shapes may require
surgery.
If left untreated, children with
plagiocephaly, especially those with moderate to severe
plagiocephaly may experience other medical issues later in
life.
A number of studies have associated the recent dramatic increase
in the number of children with flatten heads with the "back
sleep campaign." Since more children sleep on their backs, more
have some flattening of the back of their heads. This condition
can be much worse on one side if a child preferentially sleeps
with that side down. Positional (or deformational)
plagiocephaly, also known as flattened head syndrome,
results from preferentially lying on one side of the head.
Deformational
brachycephaly is a flattening across the back of the head.
The two conditions (plagiocephaly
and
brachycephaly) often occur together.
However, head flattening and asymmetry can have a number of
causes: torticollis
(also know as wryneck), crowding of the baby in the uterus,
extended time in car seats and other infant carriers as well as
back sleeping and
craniosynostosis. In addition, abnormal
head shape can take a
number of different forms (for example,
scaphocephaly,
trigonocephaly and oxycephaly as well as
plagiocephaly and
brachycephaly).
Plagiocephaly.Info
exists because the issues of abnormal
head shape are
complex. If you have questions about your child's
head shapes, I suggest
that you start at "Get
Real Help!" If you have additional questions or wish to
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