Flattening of the skull in children

A baby's head is very malleable because at birth the brain has not finished growing. If the skull was completely fused (this is called craniostenosis), it would have to be surgically reopened to make room for the brain, otherwise the latter would be compressed against the bony walls of the cranial vault and would suffer. 

So, fortunately for us, the skull can still grow and adapt but its malleability has its disadvantages. Like a ball of play dough placed on a hard surface, baby's head will tend to flatten out where it comes into contact with the surface and if this is the case your baby will tend to stay in this position because a rolling ball stops on its flat side and so this will make the situation worse. To avoid this problem it is necessary to make sure that this does not happen:

It is one of the most common. An acute torticollis does not usually go unnoticed at birth and at this time pediatricians advise consulting an osteopath as well as a physiotherapist. In some cases, torticollis may be less severe or even limited to a decrease in the range of motion of the head.

A baby's head turns more than 90 degrees to each side and that's why many parents miss this problem. They don't notice that their baby turns his head very well on one side and less well on the other. And if it is the case, it is the flattening of the skull almost assured.

The osteopath will therefore improve the mobility of the neck, gently, by working on the cervical vertebrae but also on the muscles, fascias, etc. as well as on other structures of the body that he/she deems necessary. In case of flattening of the skull already present, your osteopath will work directly on the bones of the skull, i.e. on the sutures between the bones, on the face, on the surrounding membranes, but also directly on the bone to stimulate bone cell growth in the flattened area.

Your child loves you, so he wants to watch you. He will therefore fall asleep by turning his head towards you or towards the door because he knows that you are coming this way. If the door, or you, is on the right, your child will turn his head to the right and the back of the right skull will flatten out like a ball of modeling clay put on a desk always in the same place. It is therefore necessary to turn the baby's bed so that one time it turns to the left and the other time to the right.

It is the same for mobiles, they attract the child's gaze and he will tend to stay in the same position. Ideally, it is advised to install the mobile at the feet of the child in the middle of the bed.

At birth, the child sees very little but he distinguishes well the contrasts (black and white), so he is very attracted by the light. Turn your child's bed from time to time. Change the places where he is, he will discover another world and it will help him to develop.

In the case of twins, even when separated by a partition, they look at each other or at least turn their heads towards each other. It is very common in the office to see one twin with a flattened skull on the left and the other on the right. Also, consider changing their beds...

I was not, at the beginning, for the systematic visit of the newborn to an osteopath, but with practice, I realize that the precision that a trained osteopath looks for is not the same as the parents who look at their little wonder. Thus, many parents bring their children to my office for colic, reflux or other problems and do not notice the flattening of their child's skull or the loss of cervical mobility. Now, I recommend a check-up precisely to prevent dysfunctions from setting in and affecting all the structures of the body.

The osteopath will first look at and test the different structures of your baby's body in order to understand what is disturbing your child or what could cause dysfunctions. Then, using specific soft techniques, your osteopath will work on the joints, muscles, ligaments, viscera and fascias to remove dysfunctions and restore the balance of the body necessary for its proper functioning.

When your child is awake, remember to put him or her on his or her stomach as much as possible. This prevents the head from resting and flattening on the contact area. On his tummy, your child will try to lift his head and look at the world around him. This is not only good for his psychomotor development but also allows the contraction of the suboccipital muscles. These muscles are located at the back of the skull and end at the cervical spine. Thus, as soon as your baby lifts his head, he will use his muscles to pull the back of the skull and thus generate the curved effect. You can also stimulate him with toys, so that on his stomach, head up, he turns his head to the left and then to the right.

When breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or carrying, remember to alternate sides to prevent baby's skull from molding more to one side than the other.

Use toys during the waking period to lure him to one side or the other.

This cushion allows you to cradle your baby on his side. The goal is to avoid the support of the head on the flattened side so that the skull can develop and to slow down the growth of the skull on the other side.

It is recommended to use it until your child is 3-4 months old.

When your child turns over or no longer stays on his side, this cushion is useless!

Note: for children born premature or at least early, the cushion can be used later. We rely on the corrected age. For example, if a child is born one month early, he/she can be one month older in it.

• If your baby has a flattened skull on the right side (right plagiocephaly), place him on his left side, with the longest flange on his back and the smallest on his stomach
• If your baby has a flattened skull on the left side (left plagiocephaly), place him on his right side, with the longest flange on his back and the smallest on his stomach

Your baby should be placed in this cushion when sleeping: at night for mild to moderate plagiocephalus and also for naptime for more severe plagiocephalus.

When your baby is awake: do not put him in this baby wedge but take advantage of it to put him on his stomach, work on his motor skills, stimulate him with toys placed on the opposite side of the flattened side. 

Do not hesitate to ask your osteopath for advice.

Marie Messager
Osteopath specialized in pediatrics
in Versailles - 78 - Yvelines