Examining baby’s head (physically, visually, or both) is often a routine part of well-baby visits. However, it’s possible your child’s pediatrician will bring it up even earlier. Parents usually notice positional plagiocephaly around six to eight weeks old. Hence, developing a flat spot from keeping their head in the same position when lying down. Latin for “twisted neck,” this condition is marked by tight muscles on the side of the neck that make it difficult for baby to turn their head. Being cramped in the womb can cause torticollis. With multiples, it’s simply a matter of space. For example, they may need to stay in an incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Plus, premature babies often have medical needs that require them to be on their backs for extended periods of time. With premature babies, this can be traced to the fact that their skulls are softer since they didn’t get as much time to harden as full-term babies. Premature babies and multiples are more likely to experience flat head syndrome. This might be in a rocker, a car seat, a baby swing, a playpen, a baby mat on the floor - you get the picture. Because, as you might have guessed by the name, positional plagiocephaly is linked to a baby spending a lot of time in one position: on their back. If you’re a silver-lining kind of person, you can look at this as a sign that parents are doing their best to keep their babies safe. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that infants sleep on their backs to reduce the chance of SIDS, positional plagiocephaly has been on the rise. This results in an abnormally shaped head.įor the sake of this article, we’ll largely stick to discussing positional plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome. With this type of plagiocephaly, the fibrous spaces between a baby’s skull bones prematurely close. The other type is congenital plagiocephaly, or craniosynostosis, which is a rare birth defect. It affects up to 50 percent of babies, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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The most common type is positional, which is also known as deformational. There are actually two types of plagiocephaly: positional and congenital. What is a flat head baby?įlat head syndrome, or plagiocephaly, occurs when a baby’s head develops a flat spot. Here’s what you should know about flat head syndrome. What you may be less familiar with, though, is the medical condition that results in the appearance of a misshapen head beyond childbirth, its causes, and subsequent treatment options. You’ve probably heard that babies delivered vaginally may come out with heads that look a little pointy due to pressure from the birth canal. Have you ever seen a baby rocking a cute little helmet and wondered what it’s for? The distinctive headgear may be part of a treatment plan for plagiocephaly - also known in plain-speak as flat head baby or flat head syndrome. Check out more from our Baby & Toddler Development package to read more about thrush in babies, jaundice, baby hiccups, why babies look bow legged, toddler flat feet, newborn eye color, baby watery eye, and bone structure in babies.