Baby Flat Head 1 Side

Even if parents don t spot it a pediatrician will.

Baby flat head 1 side.

The baby s head is flattened on one side so it looks asymmetrical. In severe cases it can affect the alignment of the ears eyes and jaw. When looking down at the baby s head the ear on the flattened side may look pushed forward. Check with your pediatrician if your newborn develops flat head or if his ears eyes or forehead look uneven.

Brachycephaly the back of the head becomes flattened causing the head to widen and occasionally the forehead. Sometimes an underlying muscular issue such as torticollis causes a baby to hold his or her head tilted to one side. While in most cases this is plagiocephaly some head shape deformities are caused by craniosynostosis which is a serious condition that requires surgery. This is known as flat head syndrome and there are 2 main types.

Another telltale sign is a small bump on the side of her neck. The baby usually has less hair on that part of the head. You ll probably notice that your baby holds her head to one side and has limited neck movement. Congenital muscular torticollis is usually diagnosed within the first two months of a baby s life.

Rarely two or more of the bony plates in a baby s head fuse prematurely. Premature babies are especially prone to torticollis. Researchers found that 47 percent of 440 2 month olds having routine check ups had what doctors call positional plagiocephaly where the back or one side of the head has a flat spot. Flat head syndrome or plagiocephaly as the condition is medically known occurs when a flat spot develops on the back or side of a baby s head.

In severe cases the forehead might bulge on the side opposite from the flattening and may look uneven. Torticollis occurs when a tight or shortened muscle on one side of the neck causes the chin to tilt to the other side. Babies with torticollis can also develop a flat spot on their skull because they often sleep with their head turned to one side. Plagiocephaly the head is flattened on 1 side causing it to look asymmetrical.

The ears may be misaligned and the. The condition can cause the baby s head to look. It s typically noticed by the parent up. In this case physical therapy is important to help stretch the affected muscles and allow the baby to more freely change head positions.