Flat Head Syndrome in Children: Causes and Treatment

Flat head syndrome in children is a phenomenon where the baby's head has a slim, flat or distorted shape compared to the normal head shape.

The bodies of young children, especially babies, are extremely soft and vulnerable because they still have to go through many stages of comprehensive development . A child's skull is one of the important organs that needs to be protected and cared for.

The cause of a baby's head deformed at birth can also come from the baby's underdevelopment. If that happens to your baby unfortunately, don't blame yourself. Because this is considered a fairly common flat head syndrome. Please refer to the article below to learn more about this syndrome!

 

What is flat head syndrome in children?

Flat Head Syndrome in Children: Causes and Treatment

 

 

Children with flat head syndrome when the back or side of the head is flat. This syndrome can negatively affect the alignment of the ears, jaw and eye in extreme cases.

The good news is that this syndrome usually disappears when the  baby is 4 months old,  the time when the baby has turned. You can breathe a sigh of relief as there is no indication that flat head syndrome causes any kind of problems for a child's growth and development.

Types of flat head syndrome

Plagiocephaly is a generic term for many different types of flat head syndrome. However, the term really only refers to a situation in which one side of the head is flattened. Here are some common types of Plagiocephaly:

1. Short and broad headache (Brachycephaly)

In this condition, the baby's head appears to have a flat surface covering the entire back of the head. Therefore, the baby's head appears wider than usual. Sometimes, a child's forehead seems to bulge.

2. Short and wide asymmetric deformation (Asymmetrical Deformational Brachycephaly)

This practice is like the intersection of Plagiocephaly and Brachycephly. The back of the baby's head flattens out and leads to the forehead wide, as well as the child's appearance is not symmetrical.

3. Boat-shaped head dislocation (Scaphocephaly)

The baby's head will be long and narrow, but the forehead is wide, the outside of the head is flat, looking like a boat. This disorder is usually congenital and common in premature babies.

The cause of flat head syndrome

When having a baby with flat head syndrome, many parents tend to blame and blame themselves, but that is not the case. There are many reasons why a baby's head is growing distorted, including:

1. A premature baby

The skull of normal babies is very soft and  premature babies  have softer skulls because they are still not fully developed as full term babies. Another reason why premature babies  experience this condition is because babies lie on their side the entire time they are in infant intensive care (NICU).

2. Mom gives birth to many children at the same time

Flat Head Syndrome in Children: Causes and Treatment

 

 

Having more than one fetus developing together in the same fetus makes the baby's growing space restricted, leading to flat head syndrome. Health experts have observed and found that this condition often occurs in twins and triplets.

3. Mother's uterine condition

The situation where the mother has a small uterus so the fetus doesn't have much space to grow and move can also lead to this syndrome.

4. The baby is sleeping on his back

Many mothers put their babies to sleep on their backs to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. However, lying on their back has a “strong” relationship with flat head syndrome.

5. Kinds of convenient items for children

Baby restraints, infant restraints, baby car seats ... are all things that require the child's head to rest or press on a certain surface. This puts your child at risk for flat head syndrome.

Using these tools is extremely convenient for mothers and safe for the baby. But be aware that if you let your baby sleep for a long time in these objects, your baby has a higher risk of flat head syndrome.

6. Scoliosis (Torticollis)

Torticollis is a condition that affects the neck muscles, causing the head to tilt to one side or fall down. For this condition, one of the shorter neck muscles also contract more, causing the child to hold the neck in a certain position.

Just like putting a baby on his back, scoliosis is also associated with flat head syndrome. It is observed that up to 85% of newborns suffer from flat head syndrome with additional scoliosis.

Signs of flat head syndrome

Signs of flat head syndrome will vary depending on the severity. Here are the signs of this condition:

Flat surfaces appear on the front, side, or back of the baby's head.

A bald spot will appear in the affected area on the child's head.

The head shape may be out of proportion or tilted to one side.

Ears will be uneven if observed closely, one ear will be taller or may protrude more in front than the other.

In more severe cases, the child's head may not be developing properly as it did naturally. There may be hard folds or ridges along the skull, or even no soft spots on the baby's head. Facial features may be uneven or there may be other defects.

How do I know if a baby's skull is in trouble?

Flat Head Syndrome in Children: Causes and Treatment

 

 

We also know that an infant's skull is very soft, is going through stages of development and at the same time continues to grow, changing shape over time.

Parents can also easily determine if a child's head is developing by having a doctor measure the baby's head circumference during routine health checkups. This helps detect abnormalities in the child.

The reality is that there isn't much need to do much testing to determine if a baby has flat head syndrome. If there is any doubt, the doctor will order your baby to have  an X-ray or CT scan to be able to determine exactly.

Craniosynostosis (Craniosynostosis) is a birth defect that occurs when the cranial joints stick together early (close prematurely) can also be determined at this time, although in most cases it is excluded because it rarely occurs.

How to treat flat head syndrome in a newborn?

The doctor will decide treatment according to your child's age and the severity of the case. Recovery is recommended for young children and people with mild illness. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe craniofacial therapy, in which the child will be wearing a helmet or hood.

1. Methods of recovery

In this case, you must continue to change the position of the child to avoid putting too much pressure on the flattened part. Some ways you can do it are:

When your baby has to sit, avoid letting your baby sit in the car seat or baby carrier for too long because his head will stay in place.

At lunchtime or at bedtime, change your child's lying position often.

While breastfeeding , alternate feeding on either side of the breast so that the baby's head does not have to be under pressure on the same side repeatedly. If your baby is on a bottle, you should often change his position.

While your baby is awake, you can let your baby lie on his stomach under your careful supervision.

Some physical therapies may be prescribed by your doctor to make sure your neck muscles are healthy. They should be done as often and as gently as possible.

2. Orthopedic cranial therapy

If all of the above are not successful then you will need to think about cranial orthopedics. Cranial orthopedic children will need to wear a helmet or headband for about 23 hours a day. These are customizations made for each child to adjust to the correct shape of the head.

Treatment with this method usually lasts from two to six months, depending on the severity of each case or the time of treatment.

Several measures to prevent flat head syndrome

Flat Head Syndrome in Children: Causes and Treatment

 

 

Here are some simple things you can do to prevent flat head syndrome in your baby:

Change the child's lying direction: According to the International Institute of Health, mothers should change the child's lying direction every week to encourage children to turn their heads to look in all directions, helping children to be more flexible.

Practice "tummy time" therapy: Every day, mothers let the child lie on his stomach in combination with his back. You should let your baby lie on his stomach about 30-40 minutes / day, to help his shoulder, neck and muscles develop. For babies, mothers can also apply this method for babies right away.

Let children use soft pillows: In addition to using soft pillows for children to sleep, mothers should also change positions for children 1-2 times during each sleep.

Note when breastfeeding: You should hold your baby in your arms and switch sides for each feed to prevent flat head syndrome and prevent choking.

Wear a hat for children : Wear hats that fit their heads to avoid deformation of the skull while sleeping. But this method is also quite inconvenient in that the time to wear the hat must last for at least 23 hours per day and for many consecutive months. That will make the child uncomfortable and frustrated, so this is only a temporary measure.

Does flat head syndrome affect your child's brain development?

Until now, most doctors believed that there wasn't any link between flat head syndrome and brain damage . This syndrome only affects the shape of the skull. If more scoliosis is present, the child may have some impairment in movement, but these can be overcome through therapy.

Flat head syndrome in children is not too scary if the parents have an understanding of proper care.

 

 


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