It will grow out!
Will it grow out?

Cranial deformation: the classic story, briefly

1.     A head has a normal form at birth.

2.     The baby prefers one side.

3.     Attempts to shift the child's position are fruitless.

4.     After a few weeks a slight head deformation can be seen.

5.     Your paediatrician will usually say: "The baby will grow out of it."

6.     Physical therapy and/or osteopathy may start.

7.     From the fourth to the fifth month the cranial form improves slightly.

8.     Then the head form stays the same...

 

Positional cranial deformation

 

… a well-rounded head looks different, right?

… does my child have a "flat head"?
(flat headedness; flat-low formation of the skull without temple arches, common feature: "big ears") 

Typical "flat head" (brachycephalus)

 

Extra reading:
"You are a P!", Bertholt Brecht once wrote in a poem in his book, "Reading for City Dwellers".
Brecht writes about a specialist, who determines what a "P" is (Brecht also says that you are a P).

 

 

 

 

 

Typical "crooked head" plagiocephalus

You dear parents should not rely on Brecht's observations but should consult your paediatrician and/or an expert from our CRANIOfORM® network - as soon as you have any doubt of your child's cranial form, ideally when they are 3-6 months old, but no later than after 11 months, in order to start the optimal treatment in time!

Head deformation: the typical causes, frequently

Cranial asymmetry will appear

·         in the first weeks after birth (due to the limited cranial mobility and external forces at work on a child's head)

·         and sometime before birth (particularly with a multiple birth due to the lack of space in the mother's womb)

·         or during birth (usually the result of a difficult birth)

Cranial asymmetry during and after birth generally disappear by about week 12 on their own (usually in the time between the U2 and U4 paediatric medical examinations).

Head deformations may also result from the supine positioning of the infant to prevent sudden infant death syndrome causing the back of their head to flatten (Plagiocephaly/Brachycephaly). They can generally be detected in the sixth to eighth week of life. The subsequent repositioning attempts rarely succeed due to the child preferring one side over the other.

The standard treatment for such symptoms of supportive physical therapy or assistance from osteopathy usually creates an improvement in cranial mobility, however, the treatment will only have limited success (from fourth to fifth month) in correcting the cranial form. Head deformations which do not improve by then will remain in place for life without therapy.

During infancy even slight asymmetries of less than a centimetre will become ever less noticeable as the head and hair grow out eliminating the need for therapy. Should your child have greater asymmetries, you should consider helmet therapy.

Head deformation: specific paths, individually

Both aesthetic (harmonious facial symmetry) and medical reasons (functional disruptions in the jaw and neck area) are reasons to consider the consequences of not pursuing therapy to prevent uneven facial and jaw growth.

During the first appointment at our office, we will diagnose the cranial deformity and find the cause. Based on the age and extent of the cranial deformity, we will provide individual consultation for therapeutic options.