Typically, plagiocephaly can be caused by a variety of different situations such as: The good news is, babies with plagiocephaly typically respond very well to noninvasive treatments, such as repositioning techniques, which parents can practice at home, and the DOC Band, a custom cranial helmet that redirects baby’s natural growth into a normal head shape. What Causes Plagiocephaly?īabies’ heads are soft and malleable and even gentle external forces, whether met in the womb or in baby’s daily routine, can cause misshaping. To better understand your baby’s particular condition, take our at-home assessment. Plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and scaphocephaly can all be accompanied by other characteristics, such as asymmetrical facial features, misaligned ears, and a sloped or bulging forehead. Head is longer and narrower than normal.Scaphocephaly Head Shape (pronounced skaf-oh-sef-uh-lee) Plagiocephaly Head Shape (pronounced play-jee-oh-sef-uh-lee) While plagiocephaly is the most commonly referenced abnormal head shape, plagiocephaly and other shapes can develop to varying degrees of severity and even occur in combination with one another. Parents spend so much time with their baby, recognizing an abnormal head shape can sometimes be difficult, and a flat spot can form in as little as one week. Jaw misalignment resulting in a crossbite or underbite.Visible flat areas with short or cropped hairstyles.Poor fitting safety equipment, including sports helmets.While plagiocephaly won’t have any lasting harmful effects on your baby’s neurological development, it is likely that left untreated, the head will remain misshapen into adulthood and may lead to functional challenges as children get older: Will Plagiocephaly Affect My Baby’s Brain Development?

While the AAP still recommends back-sleeping to prevent SIDS, they have since recognized a correlation between back-sleeping and plagiocephaly. In the 1990s, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) introduced the Back to Sleep campaign, which urged parents to put infants to sleep on their backs successfully reducing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by more than half. Why Has Plagiocephaly Become More Common In Recent Years?

The condition, sometimes known as “flat head syndrome,” affects nearly one in two infants today (47%), with one in every four babies being severe enough that experts would recommend treating with a helmet.

Misshapen head infant