A plagiocephaly head shape is one where one side of the head does not match up with the other side – it is asymmetrical.
A baby’s skull is made up of several ‘plates’ of bones which at birth are not tightly joined together. They are soft enough to be moulded by outside forces; this means their shape can be altered by pressure, just lying or sitting in the same position against a firm surface can cause flattening usually at the back of a baby’s head
If you are concerned that your baby might have a plagiocephaly head shape these are the physical symptoms to watch out for:
If you are concerned about the shape of your baby’s head, help and advice is at hand. You can get immediate and free advice from one of our experienced clinicians here.
Positional plagiocephaly can be caused by a number of factors involving positioning, such as extended time spent in a neonatal unit, the birth process, position in the womb and often the infant's preferred sleeping position. It can also be caused by a condition called torticollis.
Torticollis is a condition in which a tight or shortened muscle in one side of the neck causes the head to tilt or turn to one side, resulting in the infant resting its head in the same position. In 2013, we analysed the data from all first appointments in our Kingston clinic and found that 20% of the babies examined had some kind of neck condition that was causing head immobility.
Frankly, there does not seem to be much consensus on the incidence of positional plagiocephaly. The situation is not helped by the fact that the NHS does not measure head shapes either at birth or subsequently. Where head shapes are measured in other countries it is difficult to make comparisons because one is never certain that the same methodology is being used. Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children says: “Some reports estimate that positional plagiocephaly affects around half of all babies under a year old but to varying degrees.” GOSH’s summary is supported by a Canadian study published in 2013 which found that 46.6% of a sample of 440 infants at two months had some form of positional plagiocephaly.
Source: The incidence of Positional Plagiocephaly: A Cohort Study: Pediatrics peds. 2012-2009; published online July 8 2013
This is very much dependent on how fast your baby is growing. The faster the growth, the more frequently your baby will be seen so that the helmet can be adjusted. In general, reviews will happen at two to four-week intervals.
The price of treatment covers:
Yes - All babies that have completed their course of treatment with us have achieved a measurable improvement in head shape. However, you don’t have to take our word for it.
Recent independent research conducted by a University Hospital in Germany has endorsed the treatment for babies with moderate or severe plagiocephaly.
A larger, retrospective study has just been published that found complete correction was achieved in 94.4% of babies treated with helmet therapy.
The results were conclusive: repositioning achieved acceptable correction in 77.1% of cases, but 15.8% were moved onto helmet therapy because re-positioning was not working. Meanwhile, 94.4% of the infants who started in the helmet-treated group achieved full correction, as did 96.1% of those who were transferred from the repositioning group into the helmet-treated group.
Further information can be found on our Plagiocephaly Research page.
If your baby has a temperature or a fever due to illness you must remove the band. The band can be put back on once the temperature has returned to normal.
The optimum age for treatment is between four and seven months.
This is because the skull is most malleable at this age and improvements to head shape tend to take less time and are more dramatic. That is not to say that helmet therapy should be ruled out if the baby is older than seven months. Routinely, babies up to the age of 16 months can be treated very successfully.
The cut off age is around 18 months when the fontanelles (soft spots on the head) are no longer malleable. As babies grow and develop at different rates, it is always worth checking if you are not sure. There have been cases where a baby’s fontanelles have not fused yet by the age of 18 months, who have achieved successful, but less-marked results with cranial remoulding therapy.
Torticollis is a condition in which a tight or shortened muscle in one side of the neck causes the head to tilt or turn to one side, resulting in the infant resting its head in the same position. In 2013, we analysed the data from all first appointments in our Kingston clinic and found that 20% of the babies examined had some kind of neck condition that was causing head immobility.
The clinics and clinicians that provide this treatment in the UK will have received similar training and experience. However, we are the only clinic that manufactures its own helmet and our clinicians are closely involved with the process for each individual helmet that we produce.
In addition, we do not restrict review appointments to a set number, we are extremely flexible and respond to individual parents' needs so that the best outcome can be achieved for each baby.
The LOCband is non-invasive and works by applying gentle, constant pressure over the areas of the baby’s skull that are most prominent while allowing unrestricted growth over the flattened areas. The band consists of a soft foam layer inside a thermoplastic shell. As the baby grows, the band will be adjusted frequently to gently guide the skull into a more symmetrical shape.
Cranial remoulding therapy with a specially manufactured baby helmet is a very effective treatment for Positional Plagiocephaly.
At LOC, we predominantly manufacture and fit the LOCband Lite cranial orthosis which is custom-made and works by applying pressure to pre-defined areas of the skull.
There are 3 common types of flat head syndrome our clinicians are experienced in treating at LOC.
They are Plagiocephaly, Brachycephaly and Scaphocephaly.
Babies can have one or two different head shapes combined, most commonly Plagiocephaly & Brachycephaly.
If your baby has a ‘flat head’ within a certain part of the skull, the first option is to try repositioning.
The objective is to reposition your baby’s head, avoiding the existing flattened area.
Until four-five months of age, repositioning & tummy time techniques can encourage natural correction.
The LOCband Lite has been designed to be lightweight and cooler thanks to modern 3D printing techniques.
It is also made bespoke for each baby to exact clinical specifications.
It has proven results with patients and dramatically reduces weight by 40%, increasing comfort for your baby.
The LOC have offered cranial helmet therapy for many years now, and we have compiled a list of commonly asked questions from our patients, in the form of this plagiocephaly FAQ.
LOC have been treating babies with flat head syndrome since 2005, when helmet therapy was first made available in the UK.
We have published a series of plagiocephaly case histories of babies that have completed their treatment with us.
Luca was diagnosed with moderate to severe brachycephaly, a condition where the head is unusually wide and flat. Here, Mum Lauren tells us his story.
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Amelia was diagnosed with tightness in her neck by her GP before her plagiocephaly diagnosis. Clinician Jo Drake treated her with a LOCband Lite cranial remoulding helmet, which improved her overall head shape and asymmetry.
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Barney's very severe flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly) and diagnosis of torticollis led to successful helmet therapy with the LOCband, significantly improving his head shape, going from 27mm asymmetry to 12mm.
