If you have babies, you may have noticed that your little ones’ heads are not completely rounded. This phenomenon is called deformational or positional plagiocephaly. This asymmetrical malformation of the skull is caused by constant pressure.
Among the causes of plagiocephaly (oblique head in Greek) are prematurity, intrauterine mechanical factors, muscular torticollis (where the head always tilts and/or turns in the same direction), and the supine position (face up) during sleep.
At Madrid Helath, our osteopaths will work on deformational or positional plagiocephaly in which there is no premature closure of any cranial suture (craniosynostosis).
Plagiocephaly will eventually lead to various cranial problems for our child. At an ocular level it will cause a fronto-orbital asymmetry that will produce vertical strabismus, exophthalmos (eyes that protrude from their normal position) and ophthalmoplegia (oculomotor paralysis).
Plagiocephaly will produce an irritation of the cranial nerves that will cause nausea, vomiting and regurgitation. In addition, there will be an increase in endocranial tension and behavioural alterations.
Early treatment is of the utmost importance with the aim of eliminating the overlaps that slow down the bone growth of the baby’s skull, disimbricate the sutures, remodelling and repositioning the bones involved and treating any associated torticollis.
In addition to osteopathic treatment, this should include changing the baby’s position and in some more serious cases, helmets.
At Madrid Health, we will examine your little one’s head and if there is any degree of deformity, we will work on it and above all we will tell you how to work on it at home.