Causes of head shape disorders in infantsĪ baby’s head, as it forms and develops, both inside the womb as well as during the very first few months of life, is extremely soft and malleable. If left untreated, the severity continues to increase and begins to affect the position of the eyes, cheekbones, jaw, and nasal septum, causing asymmetricity in the baby’s face ( Type IV).Įventually, the skull starts to grow upwards ( type V).

( TYPE II).Īs the skull bones continue to displace, the forehead on the flattened side becomes more pronounced, and may develop a small bulge-like appearance. This is especially noticeable when looking at the baby's head from above. If no action is taken to curb the leading cause of the deformity, more serious abnormalities may gradually occur.Īs it develops further, and flattening becomes more prominent, it may cause the ear (on the flattened side) to move forward, thus resulting in misalignment. There are different levels of severity of the disorder.ĭuring initial stages, the skull becomes progressively more deformed in an asymmetrical manner and part of the neck is also flattened ( TYPE I). Various levels of severity of Positional PlagiocephalyĪn infant who develops Plagiocephaly, tends to lie more on one side of their head than the other. Positional plagiocephaly is more prevalent in boys: two out of three babies suffering from the condition are boys.įurthermore, 70% of infants tend to experience a higher degree of flattening on the right side. This is due to position the baby adopts, inside the womb, during the last few months of pregnancy. The word Plagiocephaly derives from Greek and can be translated as oblique head. Posterior positional plagiocephaly, on the other hand, refers to a flattening of the right or left back side of an infant’s head. What is posterior positional plagiocephaly? The word Brachycephaly, in fact, originates from Greek and literally means short head. Positional brachycephaly is characterised by flatness across the back of the baby’s head, which, when observed closely, also appears shorter than normal. The most common disorder is Flat Head Syndrome, known in medical terms as posterior positional plagiocephaly and posterior positional brachycephaly, which can occur before, during and even after the birth. Maria Antonietta Bonanno, a healthcare professional, who speciali ses in cranial deformation in young children, explains the causes of Plagiocephaly and positional Brachycephaly (flat head syndrome) and describes their signs and symptoms.ĭear mums and dads, it’s important for you to know that head shape abnormalities are extremely common and occur for a variety of reasons, many of which deriving from factors beyond parent’s control.

Infant misshapen head