Condition : Flat head syndrome

Condition Flat head syndrome

What is flat head syndrome?

Flat head syndrome is where a baby’s head becomes flattened on one side (plagiocephaly) or at the back (brachycephaly), causing it to look asymmetrical or wide.

Sometimes, the forehead and face may bulge a little too.

It is not painful, usually improves by itself over time, and shouldn’t affect your baby’s general development.

What causes flat head syndrome?

Babies’ skulls are made up of plates that will join together as they grow. These plates start off quite soft, so constant pressure on a particular part of the head can cause them to change shape.

Premature babies have particularly soft skull plates, increasing their chances of getting flat head syndrome.

Babies should be placed on their back to sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), so flat head syndrome is quite common. It can also be caused by a problem in the womb, such as a lack of amniotic fluid.

In rare cases, flat head syndrome may be a sign that the skull plates are fusing too early (craniosynostosis).

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