What are the signs of Plagiocephaly?

Invariably the flattening will start if the baby has the head rotated to the same side for most of the time.

This may be the result of a stiff neck in the baby where the baby has more difficulty in rotating to one side or another (called Torticollis), often inadvertently seen by the nursing mother as the baby having a preferred side to which to rotate the head for breast feeding.

Premature babies or babies receiving treatment in hospital are subject to having their head rotated to one side if an intubator tube is being used. 

Once the condition starts it becomes increasing difficult to move the baby’s soft skull away from the flat spot.

If we ask ourselves ‘why does a bucket have a flat bottom?’, the answer is …’because gravity makes it stable on a flat surface.

This means the baby’s head, when on a flat surface will always be pulled back onto the flat spot by GRAVITY.

As a result of this fact babies’ heads are either becoming gradually worse OR when the cause is removed, ie the flat surface, the flattening with start to self-correct.

Preventing Plagiocephaly

You can help to reduce the chances of Plagiocephaly occurring by alternating the side to which the baby looks when lay on a flat surface such as a mattress or play mat.

 You can also try using a specially designed mattress that helps to take the pressure of a baby’s head when they are lay down.

 SleepCurve mattress are specifically designed to allow a baby to lie comfortably and able to move whilst having a dip designed to stop pressure from being applied to one specific areas.