Flat Head Syndrome - What is it?

December 14, 2012, 4:50 pm

The Term Flat Head Syndrome is another term for Plagiocephaly. Plagiocephaly is a blanket word for covering three different types of flattening on achild’s head.

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The three different types are:

Plagiocephaly. (Play-gee-o-kef-a-lee)Brachycephaly. (Bray-key-kef-a-lee)Scaphycephaly. (Scay-fee-kef-a-lee)

All three terms describe the flattening on different areas of a child’s head. Brachycephaly and Plagiocephaly are the most common, however, it is notuncommon for a child to have both Plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly together.

Plagiocephaly

Plagiocephaly describes the flattening on one side on the child’s head. This type of flattening is commonly associated with a parallelogram shapedhead, a shift forward of the ear and a more prominent forehead on the same side as the flattening and possibly the eyes appearing to have unequalpositioning.

Brachycephaly

Brachycephaly describes a flattening across the back of a child’s head. This type of flattening is commonly associated with a loss of definition of theneck line, a wide head shape, prominent bony lumps above the ears, a bossed / protruding forehead and possibly an excessively high height of head.

Scaphycephaly

Scaphycephaly is the rarest of the three. It describes a flattening on both sides of a child’s head, giving the overall impression of a long narrow headshape and is associated with an overly exaggerated neck line.

The flattening occurs due to an external force exerted onto the child’s head for a prolonged period of time. Due to the soft, malleable, mobilecharacteristics a child’s skull has, the external force, when left in contact for a length of time can cause a flattening in the corresponding area.

Statistics show that in 1992 the incidence of Plagiocephaly was approximately 1 in 300, compared with 1999 where the incidence had increased toapproximately 1 in 60 children. Therefore in the United Kingdom in 2009, there were 706,248 babies born, of which in line with the statistics, 11,770babies born in 2009 had a form of deformational plagiocephaly.

Early detection and diagnosis plays a vital role in the management and treatment of Plagiocephaly. It is crucial to understand and recognise the factorsinfluencing the flattening so to be able to reduce them to slow down and hopefully halt the progression of Plagiocephaly.

If your child is less than four months old, Vitality in Motion recommends a free assessment with our specialist in order to measure and record the head

shape at present. Our highly trained Clinicians will discuss and advise all repositioning techniques including an increase in tummy time. As specificmeasurements would have been taken, further assessments are recommended monthly to record your child’s growth and degree of Plagiocephaly overtime, so any increase or decrease can be objectively recorded, and if needed further treatment can commence at the earliest and most effective time.

If an improvement hasn’t been observed by the time the child is 5 months old. Vitality in Motion recommends the parents or guardians to considerSTARband treatment.

If your child is 4 months old or older, Vitality in Motion recommends a free consultation to observe and measure the degree of Plagiocephaly and adviseon the best course of treatment for your child from these results.

If your child has been diagnosed with Torticollis (tightening of the neck muscles, limiting movement) Vitality in Motion recommends that you follow yourPhysiotherapists instructions with regards to passive and active exercises to lengthen the affected muscle and improve the range of movement in theneck, again to limit the progression of the Plagiocephaly. (If you have not had an appointment with your Physiotherapist, please contact Vitality in Motionwho will be able to advise you further).

You can find more information regarding Flat Head Syndrome, Plagiocephaly, Brachycephaly, respositioning techniques and STARband treatment fromthe VItality In Motion FAQ's page or by phoning on 029 2022 5689 or visit http://www.vitalityinmotion.co.uk

Vitality in Motion is a professional, friendly, understanding clinic situated within the Cardiff City Centre, South Wales and offers a free consultation with aClinical Specialist who has wide range of skills and experience within this field.

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