Does Your Baby Have Flat Head Syndrome?

January 2008 Newsletter, written by Carol Peterson, ICCE, CD(DONA)  

Flat head syndrome occurs when a baby develops a flat spot on the skull from external pressure.  Most babies are born with misshapen heads, and the majority of babies’ heads will even out by six weeks of age.  In flat head syndrome, the flat spot does not change, or actually develops after six weeks of age.  Flat head syndrome can be one of three conditions: Positional plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, or scaphocephaly.  In each of these conditions the skull becomes misshapen, with severe conditions resulting in long term health problems when left untreated.

Scaphocephaly, when the skull becomes unusually long and narrow, is most common among preterm babies.  The focus of this article is positional plagiocephaly and brachycephaly, which are often preventable.  When these spots develop after birth, it is usually caused by baby spending too much time on her back.  Think about how much time your baby spends on her back:  sleeping, bouncy seat, car seat, swing, stroller, lying on a blanket, and you can begin to see how these former uncommon conditions have become more common. 

As mentioned, when left untreated, flat head syndrome can result in permanent deformation to the skull.  This deformation can cause jaw problems, occlusion problems, and vision problems, in addition to the ridicule that may come from having a misshapen head. 

Treatment for flat head syndrome usually involves wearing a helmet that reshapes the head, or surgery for the most severe cases where the plates of the skull have fused prematurely.  However, there are simple steps you can take to help prevent the types of flat head syndrome that occur after birth.  In most cases, prevention is as simple as not allowing your baby to spend the whole day on his back.  Tips for prevention include:

-      Wear your baby.  Rather than push your baby in a stroller or keep her in a bouncy seat, wear your baby.  This not only keeps pressure off her head, it also allows your baby to see what you see, rather than the backside of everyone at the mall!  (More information on the benefits of wearing your baby can be found here.) 

-       Supervised tummy time.  Your baby needs supervised tummy time every day.  If your baby is not used to tummy time, she may fight at first, but will soon adapt.  Tummy time is essential in preventing positional plagiocephaly and brachycephaly and helping baby to develop muscle strength for crawling and motor skills as she pulls objects towards her to taste or study. 

-       Do not allow your baby to sleep for long stretches in a car seat or stroller; rather, move him to the crib. 

-       Use repositioning techniques if you find your baby always sleeps with his head facing one direction.  This simply means put your baby on his back to sleep, and then position his head so that he sleeps with his head facing right one time, and then left the next. 

These techniques are especially important in the first three months of life when the skull is the most malleable.  However, it is important to not become obsessed with constantly checking your babies head and repositioning him every time he turns his head while sleeping.  Just be cognizant of the amount of time your baby spends on her back, wear her often, and give her daily tummy time and you will be well on your way to preventing flat head syndrome.  If you are concerned that your child may have developed a flat spot, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician, who will examine the shape of your baby’s head and recommend treatment, if appropriate. 

Information for this article came from www.plagiocephaly.info.  Visit this site for more information on Flat Head Syndrome, including drawings and photos of various head shapes.