Plagiocephaly is a cranial malformation that affects more and more babies, especially since pediatricians recommend that children sleep on their backs to prevent sudden death.
Babies' skulls are very malleable, which causes any external pressure or a certain continuous posture to cause deformity. To avoid it, it is recommended to change the posture baby.
The causes of plagiocephaly are genetic and environmental, although the latter prevail more and more over the former. What is known is that boys suffer more than girls.
In general terms it is known as plagiocephaly, but strictly the plagiocephaly is the deformity caused by always sleeping on the same side, the deformity of always sleeping on your back is called brachycephaly while that caused by sleeping with your head flat on your side is called scaphocephaly (often occurs in premature babies).
The children most likely to suffer from deformities are very large and sleepy babies, the first children for lack of experience of the parents and the second because there is less time to devote and remain more time lying.
The position in which the baby is inside the uterus is one of the causes of cranial deformity, a prolonged fit or the position of buttocks favors a certain pressure on his head.
It also influences a disproportion between the size of the baby and the mother's pelvis, whether it is a multiple gestation, a post-term gestation or a fetus that is too large (macrosomic).
Once born, the main cause of deformational plagiocephaly is to always support the baby's head in the same position. The way to prevent it is very simple. It is recommended to alternate the postures throughout the day. If the baby lies on his back for many hours, it is more likely to develop a head deformity.
It is prevented by alternating the position face up and sideways at bedtime. Also avoiding leaving the baby too many hours semi-sitting in hammocks, chairs or carts and placing it belly down while awake. Thus, we will prevent it from resting on your head while strengthening the muscles of the upper back.
