Flat head syndrome is a syndrome where there is a flat spot on the back of your babies’ head or sides. It may lead them to have an asymmetrical head shape or look like a parallelogram if seen from above. It is also known as plagiocephaly.
Now, moving on to the most believed cause to a flat-head syndrome – is it your fault that your baby has a flat head syndrome?
Well, the answer is NO! Flat head syndrome is not the parents’ fault, in fact, it happened because of something that the parents did right.
Babies are naturally born with malleable heads to allow for brain growth. Hence, their head is soft and it is easily moulded.
Types of Flat Head Syndrome
There are two types of plagiocephaly in infants which are positional plagiocephaly and congenital plagiocephaly. The difference between these two are:
- Positional plagiocephaly – specific areas of an infant’s head develop an abnormally flattened shape and appearance.
- Congenital plagiocephaly – a rare birth defect where the baby’s skull joins together too early.
What does flat head syndrome look like?
- There is a flattened area on the side or back of the head. Instead of being round, the head may appear slanted in a certain area.
- The infant’s ears are not even. This is because plagiocephaly can cause the ears to misalign.
- There is a bald spot in one area of the head.
- The skull has bony ridges.
- Lack of a soft spot (or fontanel) on the head.
The Causes
1. Sleeping position
Babies usually would sleep on their back and this is the usual cause for a plagiocephaly.
I know that most parents would freak out because it is advisable for babies to sleep on their back to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
2. Not enough tummy time
When the baby does not practice tummy time regularly, he would spend most of his time laying down and it is usually in the same position which relates to the first cause.
3. Born with a twin
When you are expecting twins, it means that there is less space and there would be pressure on the baby’s skull from the mother’s pelvis or a twin.
4. Born as a preterm baby
A preterm baby is born with a softer skull than a full-term baby. Most preterm babies would also spend their time in the NICU without being picked up or moved.
5. Muscular torticollis
Torticollis is a neck muscle tightness. It can prevent a baby from turning their head in a particular way. This means that one side of their head is placed under more pressure than the other parts.
Treatment for Flat Head Syndrome
The treatment for this condition will depend on the degree of the plagiocephaly.
- It will correct itself in time as the baby grows.
- Parents can try the repositioning technique. It involves putting them in a different position while they sleep or even when they are awake.
- The Cranial Helmet Treatment. The baby would have to wear a special cranial helmet to help mould the baby’s skull.
Overall, parents do not have to worry about plagiocephaly affecting their brain’s growth as there is still inadequate research on this.
An infant’s brain development would only get affected if their plagiocephaly is in the range of moderate to severe.