Neurology - Plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly Flashcards
What is plagiocephaly?
Plagio - oblique
Flattening of one area of baby’s head
What is brachycephaly?
Brachy - short
Flattening at the back of the head
When do plagio and brachycephaly occur?
When baby has a tendency to rest their head on a particular point causes skull and sutures to mould to create an abnormal shape - positional plagiocephaly
Why has positional plagiocephaly become more common?
Parents advised to rest babies on back to reduce risk of SIDS
How does plagiocephaly present?
Baby 3-6 months old
Abnormal head shape
Prefer sleeping on one side of head
How is PBcephaly managed?
Exclude craniosyntosis with thorough history and palpation of sutures
Look for congenital muscular torticollis, may be why one side is preferred, physiotherapy used to help treat torticollis
Reassurance, head shape returns to normal as child grows
What measures can be used to encourage baby to avoid resting on flattened area of the skull?
Position them on rounded side for sleep
Supervised tummy time
Rolled towels under mattress
Minimising time in pushchairs and car seats
How is PBcephaly treated?
Plagiocephaly helmets
Need to be used for vast majority of the day
Can cause skin problems and psychosocial problems
