Index
It is a term used to catalog babies with slightly crushed heads.
This condition, sometimes known as ” flat head syndrome, ” affects almost one in two babies today.
Plagiocephaly is characterized by developing a plain in the part of the baby’s skull. It can be generated by multiple factors, especially if the affected person is lying down for a long time on his back.
This happens because a baby’s head is very soft and does not have enough hardness to withstand the pressure of the surfaces of the beds, furniture, or seats without deforming.
Does it affect the brain development of the baby?
This condition does not affect the baby’s neurological, cognitive, or any other type of development. The only drawback is that if a specialist doctor does not treat it, the malformation of the skull can last until adulthood, bringing as a consequence the following factors:
- Asymmetry or facial deformity.
- In the course of the affected person’s life, he would have problems with adjusting the eye lenses.
- Sports or safety helmets could not be placed correctly.
- The bite may be irregular due to the misalignment of the jaw.
symptom
This condition can occur in a few weeks and can be categorized into four types of cranial anomalies with different degrees of severity, which are presented below:
Common Plagiocephaly
- The skull becomes flat in the back.
- The head from a superior vision can resemble a parallelogram.
Brachycephaly
- The skull is usually wider than usual.
- A flat shape is created on the back of the head and not curved.
Scaphocephaly :
- The skull develops with an elongated and narrow shape.
- The head is usually higher and disproportionate to the baby’s body.
The common characteristics between plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, and scaphocephaly are:
- Front bulging or tilted.
- The ears are misaligned and disproportionate to the size of the skull.
- Asymmetrical facial features.
Causes of plagiocephaly
This type of disorder or cranial anomaly occurs because of:
- Before birth, the unborn has a posture that hinders the normal development of the skull.
- The limited space in the uterus, such as when two or more unborn in the placenta.
- At birth, when the baby is stuck and pulled over the head, it can lead to plagiocephaly.
- When the baby is born prematurely and is taken to intensive care, they have to be in the same position for the oxygen supply.
- Bad posture at the time of rest. Bodyweight is usually placed in the skull.
- Much time in the same position during days.
- Support the head on a challenging and not very flexible surface.
- Sleep with your back resting on the mattress, crib, or baby bed.
- Baby carriers, reclining seats, or rocking chairs can lead to the development of plagiocephaly.
Prevention and treatment
It is known that simple practices in the home, including supervised tummy time and repositioning techniques, prevent and improve abnormal head shapes.
That is why the treating physician or specialist in cases of plagiocephaly recommends to the parents of the affected the necessary techniques to solve this anomaly before the skull takes a more solid texture and hinders its improvement.
The usual thing is that repositioned postures are applied for at least two months in a row to begin to see the changes; if the case is very severe, a cranial orthosis must be placed on the baby’s skull, which is a band or helmet that is placed in the affected area to help it mold a regular shape.
This helmet should always be tailored to the skull of the baby to be treated to ensure that cranial corrections are successful. It can be placed in babies between 3 to 18 months old.
The exhaustive monitoring and exact execution of the indications of the attending physician and taking the baby rigorously to the medical consultations will increase the probability of getting the affected person to obtain a normal skull without invasive or traumatic interventions for him.
