Diagnoses

Cranial Asymmetry 101

Cranial asymmetry can be caused by many factors, including premature birth, congenital muscular torticollis (a tilting and/or turning of a baby’s neck to one side as a result of a muscle strain), multiple births, restrictive intrauterine positioning, trauma at birth, cervical spine abnormalities, and favoring one side over another.

There are three common asymmetrical head shapes:

• Plagiocephaly–The most common form of cranial asymmetry, plagiocephaly is usually identified by flattening on one side of the back of the head, and one eye or ear may appear higher than the other.​ It is sometimes referred to as a parallelogram shape, because it looks like one side of the baby’s head has been pushed forward.
• Brachycephaly–Generally appears as flattening across the back of the head with a prominent forehead, and the height of the baby’s head may appear taller.​
• Scaphocephaly–Commonly seen with premature babies who spent time in a NICU or consistently rest on either side of the head, scaphocephaly is typically observed as a long, narrow head shape.

Early detection and prevention is important. One of the best ways to look for asymmetry is to look at your baby’s head from above (the bird’s eye view) while his or her hair is wet.​ Also look for red creases on one side of your baby’s neck as they may result from his or her head being cocked to one side.

Tummy time and repositioning are two important interventions that may help. Tummy time includes any activity where your baby’s head is not flat against a surface, encouraging head and neck control and relieving pressure. Re​positioning is a focused effort to change the placement of your child’s head to reduce the risk of flat spots. For example, laying your baby’s head on the left side at bedtime tonight and on the right side tomorrow.