It is normal for a babys head to be somewhat misshapen for the first few days or weeks of life. Treating the torticollis will often help to improve the plagiocephaly as your child is able to sleep more comfortably in different positions. As a result, these soft bones are easily molded. If your child has torticollis, he may habitually sleep in one position and develop plagiocephaly. In the majority of cases, physical therapy to straighten and stretch the neck will straighten the head and head posture. For example, craniosynostosis causes developmental issues with an infants skull that can. Craniosynostosis can lead to different kinds of changes in a baby’s head shape: The head grows longer and narrower, which is a birth condition called scaphocephaly. Torticollis literally means “a tight neck” and can be seen when there are structural anomalies such as fused or hemivertebrae, or most commonly as a completely isolated anomaly. Other disorders can cause an infants head to become misshapen. Leaving extra room around the flat area of the head allows the skull and brain to grow back into the normal shape that they were genetically programmed to do.ĭeformational plagiocephaly can be associated with torticollis. Helmet therapy works by fitting the skull tightly with a specially designed helmet in all areas except where it is flat.

If repositioning is not successful in addressing the problem, or if the deformation is moderate or severe and persists beyond six months, then helmet therapy may be required. This can be caused by the position of the baby in the womb during pregnancy or can happen during birth. However if an abnormal head shape persists. Many newborn babies appear to have an unusual head shape.

Otherwise, the treatment for baby’s head shape depends on the cause. In most babies with deformational plagiocephaly due to sleeping position, simple repositioning of the child to place them off the flattened area will resolve the problem. If the babys head is misshapen as a result of the birthing process, this trait may gradually correct itself. If your newborn’s head is misshapen from his journey down the birth canal, your doctor may very well take a wait-and-see approach, as a cone shape will likely go away on its own without any treatment within a couple of weeks.

Misshapen head infant