Plagiocephaly resolves itself: false and dangerous!
Unfortunately, there is still this false myth going around that plagiocephaly resolves itself , but this is absolutely not true!
To better explain the causes of flat head and why this statement is dangerous, I decided to write everything in this article. All you have to do is continue reading and find out!
1. What is plagiocephaly and flat head?
Plagiocephaly is one of the postural cranial alterations that can occur in newborns in the first months of life. You should know that almost 1 in 2 children develop a flat head shape due to incorrect postures maintained for a long time.
In fact, if the newborn always keeps his head turned to the same side or in the same position for a long time, it is very likely that one of the 3 types of flat head may arise. Let's look at them in detail:
- Plagiocephaly : is a flattening of the lateral-posterior area;
- Brachycephaly : is a flattening of the back area;
- Dolichocephaly : is a flattening of the lateral area.
Causes of postural cranial alterations
Flat head is created for two main reasons :
- Postural attitudes put into practice unknowingly by parents with the incorrect use of bouncers, baby seats or by leaving the newborn supine for too long;
- Postural attitudes put in place by the newborn due to contractures at the neck and back level.
In both cases the newborn rests his head on the same side for a prolonged period of time and the constant pressure and the malleability of the head generates the deformation.
2. Vital features of the newborn's head
As we have seen, the moldability of the skull determines the possibility that the newborn will manifest a flat head in case of incorrect postural attitudes.
But why is the newborn's skull so malleable?
First of all, because the newborn has to pass through the birth canal and therefore this feature favors the passage of the head.
Furthermore, the brain grows very quickly in the first months of life, so much so that it doubles in volume in just 6 months.
To give you a concrete idea, in just 3 months (from 0 to 3 months) a newborn's head grows by 6 cm in circumference and in the following 9 months (from 3 to 12) by another 6 cm.
While on the one hand these characteristics are vital for the newborn, on the other hand they can have a negative effect in the case of incorrect postures, leading to the skull undergoing a deformation.
Furthermore, the very fact that the baby's head grows very quickly and quickly becomes less and less malleable, makes it more difficult to resolve flat head syndrome if timely intervention is not done.
3. It is not true that plagiocephaly resolves itself!
Many parents who have come to me report being told that plagiocephaly resolves on its own .
This is absolutely false and people who report this falsehood, unknowingly or not, I call Flatheads !
As we have seen, the causes of flat head are incorrect positions unconsciously put into practice by parents or postures of the newborn due to contractures.
How is it possible that cranial alterations resolve themselves if we do not intervene to modify and improve incorrect attitudes?
I'll tell you: it's not possible and that's why it's wrong and dangerous to say that plagiocephaly resolves itself !