Everything You Need To Know About Plagiocephaly
If you have been following along on Instagram you may have noticed my recent post about Plagiocephaly. This blog post is going to dive a little deeper into what exactly Plagiocephaly is, the most common causes, and what you can do to prevent it.
Plagiocephaly, more commonly known as Flat Head Syndrome is when an infants skull becomes misshapen, or asymmetrical. If preventative measures are not taken, a helmet may be needed to help correct the misshapen skull.
Fact: By 2 years of age, babies have spent around 200 hours on their back.
What Age Does It Occur
Most commonly, flattening of the head will begin to appear between birth to 2 months of age.
If intervention is sought prior to 5 months of age it can often be corrected without the use of a helmet, however once an infant is over 5 months of age a helmet is needed in order to correct the shape of the skull.
A babies skull becomes fused between 18-24 months, which means that their head shape is set by that point and no further correction can be made.
Why Does It Happen
Since the introduction of the Back To Sleep Campaign to reduce the risk of SIDS, the instance of Plagiocephaly in babies has seen a drastic increase of 300%. Babies are spending much more time on their backs than ever before, which can greatly affect the shape of their skull.
However, sleep position is not the only factor in the occurrence of Plagiocephaly. There has also been an increase in the use of “container” items such as swings, baby loungers, carseats, and bouncers. All of these items can affect the shape of an infants skull.
How To Prevent It
In order to prevent Plagiocephaly, it is important to limit the use of baby items that encourage time spent on their back, and increase tummy time.
Tummy Time
Try short increments of time, 5-6 times/day
Include it in different ways such as while putting lotion on after a bath, while reading a short book after a diaper change, or by laying baby across your legs
Limit Using Baby Items
Avoid using baby items such as swings, loungers, carseats, bouncers, etc. for more than 1-2 hours/day, and never allow a child to sleep in one of these items
Additional Tips
You may be questioning what else you can do to avoid the risk of Plagiocephaly for your infant. Here are a couple of extra tips to be aware of:
Alternating your child’s sleeping position, or switching the direction you put them in their bed will help to strengthen muscles on both sides of their head, thereby reducing the risk of torticollis (muscle tightening on one side) which can lead to Plagiocephaly.
Take photos of your child’s head shape weekly to monitor for any changes.
Interested in learning more? Head over to Baby Begin for in-depth information, helpful resources, and 1-1 support!
