Treating the torticollis will often help to improve the plagiocephaly as your child is able to sleep more comfortably in different positions. If positioning does not help, after about four months of age, or if the baby’s head is severely misshapen, the baby may need to wear a helmet for treatment.

Parents can rotate their babys sleeping position. The baby will naturally face outward so pressure points are alternated. When a baby sleeps only on his or her back, skull development can be affected. Plagiocephaly originates from the Greek words 'plagio', meaning oblique, and 'cephale', meaning head. Gently placing your fingers in the child’s ears will help you feel. For naps and sleeping at night, put the baby at the opposite end of the crib from the nap or night before. Deformational plagiocephaly, also known as positional or occipital plagiocephaly, is a condition in which an infant's skull becomes asymmetrical (misshapen) due to repeated pressure to the same area of the head. To evaluate your infant’s head shape, view the head from various angles: from the top, the sides, the back and face-on. Putting your baby on his or her stomach several times a day helps strengthen neck control and prevents a misshapen head. If your child has torticollis, he may habitually sleep in one position and develop plagiocephaly. What does a misshapen head mean The head shape is either too flat (brachycephaly), too narrow (scaphycephaly) or too asymmetric (plagiocephaly). Helmet molding therapy, or cranial orthosis, is a type of treatment in which a baby is fitted with a special helmet to correct the shape of the skull. In the majority of cases, physical therapy to straighten and stretch the neck will straighten the head and head posture. Torticollis literally means “a tight neck” and can be seen when there are structural anomalies such as fused or hemivertebrae, or most commonly as a completely isolated anomaly. However, some babies may need additional help from a healthcare provider. Fortunately, most heads will round out during infancy. It’s normal for babies’ heads to become misshapen after birth and in the first few months of life. Leaving extra room around the flat area of the head allows the skull and brain to grow back into the normal shape that they were genetically programmed to do.ĭeformational plagiocephaly can be associated with torticollis. A newborn’s head is pliable and soft to allow the baby’s skull to move through the birth canal. Helmet therapy works by fitting the skull tightly with a specially designed helmet in all areas except where it is flat.

If repositioning is not successful in addressing the problem, or if the deformation is moderate or severe and persists beyond six months, then helmet therapy may be required. In most babies with deformational plagiocephaly due to sleeping position, simple repositioning of the child to place them off the flattened area will resolve the problem.

Baby misshapen head