How Brachycephaly and Plagiocephaly affect infant’s growth?

When you become a parent for the first time, you come across hundred new things. And most of them are scary. Among those hundred of things, is flat head syndrome or Brachycephaly. With every new or little information comes apprehensions and confusion! This piece is for new parents/new moms to give them an insight about about flat head syndrome and Brachycephaly vs Plagiocephaly . Mostly! it comes naturally to babies yet can cause panic especially for new moms.

To be honest, I still sometimes get scared when I hear anything new related to children.

Newborn babies lie a lot on their back with their head turned one side when they are small. This leads to flat head syndrome. Plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly depict the two main kinds of this condition.

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What is Brachycephaly?

Brachycephaly definition – The Brachycephaly  is having a generally broad, short skull (generally with the breadth at least 80% of the length). It can likewise include a slight bulging of the forehead and a broad forehead. The typical brachycephaly treatment includes repositioning or an expert orthotic protective cap. For infants with Brachycephaly, the head is additionally regularly higher at the back. The entire back of the head can show up flat, with the absence of any rounding towards the neck. It is a kind of flat head syndrome which can found either in isolation or in combination with Plagiocephaly (brachycephaly with plagiocephaly)

Plagiocephaly

The head is flattened on one side, making it seem like different head sides are not equal. The ears may have an erroneous position. The head looks a flat shape with four sides when seen from a higher place, and once in a while, the forehead and face may swell somewhat on the flat side.

Brachycephaly causes

Brachycephaly occurs when the natural development of a baby’s head meets outside pressure, inhibiting growth to that area of the head. During the early stages, a baby skull is still delicate enough to be shaped by these external pressing factors, leading to areas of the skull getting distorted and result in flat head syndrome

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Pressure during rest

Infants are born with a delicate, flexible skull which will, in general, create during the earliest stages. A flattening of the skull can happen if your child tends to rest in one position every evening, hence applying pressure to a similar area of their head. As the flattened area creates, your child may become considerably more familiar with that specific position, enhancing the flattering further. Or on the other hand, their head may usually roll into that position. 

This reason for Brachycephaly is exceptionally usual because of the sleep advice given to guardians. The back to sleep campaign encourages parents to put their children on their back to rest, to help stay away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Regardless of its impact on the prevalence of flat head syndrome, we are genuine promoters of the fruitful Back to Sleep campaign and don’t suggest that parents quit following this advice.

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Tight neck muscles

Tight neck muscles can stop a child from turning their head in a specific direction, putting one side of their head under more pressure. 

Infants born prematurely

Premature children are bound to develop flattened heads because their skulls are softer than full-term infants. Additionally, premature children will, in general, spend more time on their backs without being moved or picked, and they may not yet have the option to move their heads from one side to another. 

Pre-birth forming during birth

A child could be born into the world with a Brachycephaly or Plagiocephaly head shape because of situating in the womb into the birth channel. We frequently see children who have been in the back-to-back position prenatally. 

Hydramnios (Low amniotic liquid level)

When the mother’s amniotic sac doesn’t contain sufficient liquid, there is also less padding in the womb. Furthermore, if there are twins in the womb, this causes ‘jamming’ in the uterus. This pre-birth climate may put pressure on the child’s skull and result in a brachycephaly head shape.

Prevention

You can avoid flat head syndrome by taking preventive measures against your child developing the condition directly. While you should consistently take care of your child on their back, you can likewise make sure to follow the following to prevent flat head syndrome

plagiocephaly

When to Get Medical Counsel 

plagiocephaly

Consult with your health doctor if you’re worried about the state of your child’s head or figure they may have issues turning their head. They can analyze your child’s head and recommend things you can do to help. 

A marginally flattened head isn’t generally anything to stress over, yet it’s a smart thought to get guidance from the get-go so you can find ways to stop getting any worse.

Issues for Brachycephaly babies in future

Generally, flat head syndrome is the view as a simple cosmetic condition that doesn’t impact how the child’s brain develops. However, some proof shows that kids with the flat head syndrome have an expanded risk for developmental delays. It’s hard to say for definite as that would necessary for why they have flattened head syndrome in any case; for instance, they may have movement limitations.

How mothers feel and concerned about will their child’s head shape recover to normal?

Mild flattening of the head will generally improve if you use the simple measures, although that it could several months before you begin to see an improvement. Your child’s head may not return to a beautiful shape; however, any flattening will be notified when they’re 1 or 2 years old. The look of your child’s head should improve as they become more mobile and their hair grows.

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