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General health

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Original poster

Flat heads/ Plaglocephaly

10 replies

max6 · 27/09/2006 20:25

My son is 6 weeks old nd had recenly been diagnosed with the postural condition plaglocephaly or in engligh a flat head . his is asymetrical only flat at one side due to the way he sleeps on it .I have to take him for a head scan but have been advised not to worry as it corrects itself but I do have my doubts. Have you came across this and what could i do to help correct it .I know some babys get a helmet but that seems quite drastic.??

OP posts:

peegeeweegeewoo · 27/09/2006 20:34

Hi, I don't have any experience of this firsthand, but a lady I know on another forum had a grandson who suffered with this. The boy got a specially fitted helmet and only needed it for around 3 months - it really helped him!

Spidermama · 27/09/2006 20:35

My dh and most of the males in his family (including two of my ds's) have a kind of flat shelf on the back top bit of the head. It doesn't seem to bother them.

NAB3 · 27/09/2006 20:40

My daughter had this, as well as some other problems, and her assymetry went from 1.7cm to 0.3cm after 3 months of wearing the helmet. You will be told it is cosmetic but causes no medical problems. DON NOT BELIEVE THEM! Go on to the plagiocephaly website and research it. Helmets do sound drastic but you have a small window to treat it and if you do nothing you can't fix it later. I saw a little boy with one on the other day and it was so cute, all blue. Go to see a cranio guy too as they can help.

Beauregard · 27/09/2006 20:40

My dd1 had a flat head on one side when she was small,although not diagnosed .
When i had dd2 i bought a product from jo jo maman bebe or blooming marvellous, cant remember which but it had bolsters to stop the baby rolling on their side which attach by velcro to a sheet with a special memory/gel pillow .You just put it in the moses basket or cot for them to sleep on.
dd2 had no flat head.
one of the midwived was impressed with it.

Kelly1978 · 27/09/2006 20:50

I really wouldn't go down the helmet route. It is cosmetic, which is why you can't get helmets on the nhs. I have dts, and one baby's head has corrected itself, the other hasnt. He's a bit flat at the back, but it doesnt matter! His curls are starting to cover it. It may be partly genetic too, dp has a falt head!

Twopinkoneblue · 27/09/2006 21:07

My DD1 had a very flat head at one side. I became worried when I took her to see my GP for something else. He said "don't you think her head is a funny shape" He then refered her to a specialist. She had X-rays and was monitered. Nobody ever suggested wearing a helmet. She is 8, with a full head of hair and looks great. When her hair is wet you can still tell that it is slightly flat.DD2 had a beautiful shaped head. DS3, who is now 5 months,who is an exeptional sleeper, has a slight flatness.
I think this condition is very common these days, as it is recommended to let babies sleep on thier backs.

Twopinkoneblue · 27/09/2006 21:16

kelly 1978 I think your right about there being a genetic link.

tissy · 27/09/2006 21:19

have you seen how much those helmets cost...to correct a "deformity" which doesn't have any proven effects.

The "evidence" for the effectiveness is peddled by the company that sells the helmets...that is why the NHS don't supply them willy-nilly (you can get them on the NHS, but only for severe cases)

NAB3 · 28/09/2006 12:12

One affect of plagiocephaly is that the childs ears are not in the correct place so should they need glasses it will be difficult to fit them. It also causes eye and ear problems and it so is not just cosmetic!! Our insurance company wouldn't have paid the £2500 for the helmet if it had been.

tubismybub · 28/09/2006 13:26

At 6 weeks you have the perfect opportunity to use repositioning to help correct your sons head shape. You have to really keep at it but it the results can be great if you're persistent. here's my tips to keep him off his flat spot.
Get a sleep curve mattress for the crib/cot. The design of the mattress means it won't matter if your baby lies on his flat spot during the night so it won't get worse.
Get a goi goi pillow for nappy changing, in the pram and when he's lying on the floor.
Avoid to much time in car seats, swing/bouncy chairs. You can use a rolled up tea towel behind their necks when they are in the car seat to take some pressure off the side of the head.
try and do lots of tummy time, lots of babies dislike it at first so build up slowly and put a rolled up blanket under his chest to make them a bit more comfortable.
use a sling to keep him off his head during the day.
I would also recomend seeing a cranial osteopath to help loosen any tight neck muscles that might be causing him to favour one side.
Hope this helps a bit.

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