Misshaped Heads in Infants

Causes of Misshapen Heads in Infants

• PWS is generally caused by pressure to one area of the baby's head. Because the seven bones in an infant's skull do not fuse together until around 2 years old, consistent pressure can change the shape of the head. In the early 1990s, the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that parents place their babies on their backs during sleep to reduce the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. As more infants spent longer periods of time stationary on their backs, doctors begin to identify more cases of PWS. Premature babies are at a greater risk of developing PWS because they miss some of the time in utero when the skull bones begin to harden. Excessive tightness in the neck muscles, called muscular torticollis, can cause the head to tilt and become misshapen.

Prevention

• Preventing PWS is a simple process. According to Washington University in St. Louis, parents should vary the position of their baby's head when they put them to sleep. By keeping infants on their back, but turning the neck so the babies are looking a different direction each night, children can avoid PWS and misshapen heads. Parents should continually shift the side that mobiles and crib toys are on, keeping the infant from looking in only one direction. They should continue to adjust their infants' heads until about 6 months old. Infants should also spend much of their waking time on their stomachs to promote developmental achievements and to prevent flattening of the head.

PWS Treatment

• Parents who notice a flat spot or asymmetrical spot on their babies' heads should seek prompt medical attention. For mild cases of PWS, infants usually require repositional therapy. Repositional therapy, much like PWS prevention, consists of frequently adjusting infants' heads and encouraging play time on their stomachs. Daily physical therapy exercises, directed by a physical therapist, also help alleviate the flat spot. Severe cases of PWS require infants to wear custom-made helmets or headbands that gently reshape the babies' heads. Success rates are high for infants who start therapy by 6 months old.

Craniosynostosis

• While most cases of misshapen heads are the results of baby positioning, Cornell University reports that one infant in every 2,000 in the United States has a condition called craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis occurs when the bones in the skull fuse together prematurely. This condition can restrict brain growth and cause problems with vision. Craniosynostosis is surgically corrected.