Flattened back of the head in infants: parents can counteract

23.08.2021

Babies should lie mainly on the back, but this often leads to a deformation of the skull. In order to maintain the natural shape of the infant & APOs; s head, orthopaedics and trauma surgeons recommend paying attention to changing head postures.

"when babies lie on the back for too long with the same head position, the soft cranial bones adapt and the back of the head is flattened off. Even though this is usually medically harmless, parents should encourage the infant to turn his head regularly so that the back of the head is curved, "said Prof. Dr. Dieter C. Wirtz, President of the German Society for orthopaedics and Accident surgery (DGOU) and Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for orthopaedics and Accident surgery at the University Hospital in Bonn. The DGOU gives tips on how to counteract a skull deformation and explains which natural treatment methods exist.

Many parents observe a strong flattening of the back head or one-sided asymmetric deformations in their newborns in the weeks after birth. The child is otherwise healthy. "parents often worry when head growth is uneven. They fear disorders of the jaw joints or problems of eye position and hearing. However, these fears are usually unfounded, "explained Prof. Dr. Robert Rödl, President of the DGOU Section of the Association for Children's Orthopedics (VKO). From a scientific point of view, there is no direct connection between skull shape and consequential damage. "in most cases, this is only a cosmetic problem, for which there are numerous natural treatment methods," said the chief physician of the children's orthopaedic department at the University Hospital of Münster. In the medical language, this phenomenon is referred to as the so-called Plagiocephalus due to the situation. Parents can observe routines from the start so that the infant & APOs; s head develops oval.

Orthopaedics and trauma surgeons give 5 tips on how parents can counteract the deformation of the baby & APOs; s head:

The number of infants affected has increased. In the 1990s, the "back to sleep" campaign and the recommendation to let newborns sleep in the back were able to reduce the risk of sudden child death by 50%. & quot; it was a very successful campaign that showed that the back position is just right for the very youngest, & quot; stressed Dr. Harry Klima, member of the Advisory Board of the VKO and Chief physician for Children & APOs; s Orthopedics in Eastern Switzerland & APOs; s St. Gallen Children & APOs; s Hospital. However, the consistent back position led to the fact that with more children than before, the heavy, but still malleable back of the head flattened through the long lying on. Because the younger the child is, the faster the growth is and the greater the formability of the head.

In most cases, a flattened infant head is already detected when children & APOs; s orthopedic patients perform the prescribed hip ultrasound examination in newborns. "here we ask about risk factors and advise parents on preventive measures. Of course, we also check whether there are abnormalities in the newborn, "added Rödl. In the first few months concerned parents can also have their child examined by children & APOs; s orthopedic and orthopedic women. For example, it can be checked whether there are movement disorders of the cervical spine in need of therapy or whether these are harmless movement restrictions, for example by a favorite side, which leads to the one-sided resting of the head. Only in exceptional cases are congenital malformations of the vertebral bodies behind a flattening of the back head, extremely rare is a so-called muscular crooked neck. There are also known risk factors that can lead to skull deformities. These include, for example, difficult births with a suction lock or pliers due to an unfavourable size ratio from pelvis to child & APOs; s head. If Plagiocephalus has been detected during the medical examination, the correct treatment may help. The aim of each treatment is that the head does not lie on the already flattened area. In the case of very pronounced deformities or if the child is in a forced position due to a developmental disorder, therapy with a so-called helmet orthosis may be considered. However, since the shape of the skull has no disease value, a medical indication exists only in persistent exceptional cases. _ (Susanne Herda, Swetlana Meier, Press and Public Relations, German Society for orthopaedics and Accident surgery [DGOU]) _ sources: idw-online.de, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie e. V. (DGOU)