Because of the relationship between torticollis and plagiocephaly, the Cranial Therapy Center network was established to offer effective treatment of these conditions at their different stages: preventing cranial deformity before it actually develops, and treating the condition when it does exist. Research on Plagio-Torticollis relationship has resulted with factual evidence resulting with as much as 70-80% of babies with plagiocephaly will present with torticollis as the primary cause of deformity. Plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome, is when a babys head is flat on one side. However, plagiocephaly most commonly occurs secondary to the presence of Torticollis or CMT, a condition in which difficulty turning the head causes an infant’s head to tilt to one side. Although this practice has been effective in greatly reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, it has also increased the occurrence of this consequence. This is attributed to the accepted protocol of positioning newborns on their backs. Since the early 1990’s the incidence of plagiocephaly has increased, with studies suggesting up to one occurrence in every 60 births. A related condition involves a premature union of the skull bones this is known as craniosynostosis. These conditions typically occur in infants, and can be caused by a restrictive intrauterine environment during pregnancy, pressure exerted on the skull during birth, congenital muscular torticollis, or excessive positioning of the infant on its back.

These include head shapes that are flat on one side resembling a parallelogram from above (plagiocephaly) long and narrow (scaphocephaly) and wide and flat back of head (brachycephaly). The fontanelle at the back of your baby’s head closes at six weeks. Your baby has two soft spots on his head. This odd shape will even out as the soft spots close, and the bones in his head meet and fuse.

It is the most common variation of several related conditions. The gentle pressure that moulding puts on your newborns skull may have resulted in his head looking cone-shaped, elongated or misshapen. Plagiocephaly refers to the occurrence of a misshapen or asymmetrical head-shape.

Misshapen head baby