Plagiocefalia positioned (flat head)

Plagiocefalia positional flat head syndrome is a condition in which the bottom or side of the baby's head is flattened, often with reduction of capillary density in the area. The result of adopting a lateral position of the head for long periods.
Since the cranial bones in children are soft allowing the brain to develop in the first months of life are flattening succeptibileThe term "positional" is used to differentiate the condition of true synostosis, which is the premature fusion of cranial sutures and requires surgery to orectare. This term refers to foreign-loaded due to deformation of the skull.
The condition can be caused by congenital torticollis in the neck muscles to develop different side forcing the head torque on hand, but most often occurs in children who sleep in a single position for a long time.
Untreated condition does not affect brain development. Are medical therapies, invasive by repositioning the head during sleep and use of bands to control skull growth. The prognosis is excellent in most cases resolve before the age of one year.
Pathogenesis and causes
Child's skull is made up of bones separated by sutures free.Sutures, which act as expansion joints to allow the skull shape to pass through the birth canal and extends along the rapidly growing brain. While many children are born with an abnormal head shape due to the narrow passage through the birth canal, most will correct their form in the first six weeks of life. When an abnormal skull persists or is not observed until after 6 weeks it is important to determine the cause.The frequency of positional skull deformity is plagiocefalia. This is caused when external pressure is exerted repeatedly on one side of an area appears occiputului and payment. This is usually accompanied by a prominent forehead, the head seen from above gives a rectangular shape instead of the normal oval shape.It is common for children with positional plagiocefalie present and previous low insertion of the ears and facial asymmetry, in which affected half a face prominently present. Facial asymmetry may also include an angled jaws with different mesh sizes.
Plagiocefaliei positional causes:Uterus narrow:Uterine constriction may be caused by a variety of factors, including a multiple pregnancy, a small or malformed uterus, a small maternal pelvis or an inadequate amount of amniotic fluid.Child in the lateral position in the uterus may be a cause for positional plagiocefalia if his head is stuck under the mother's ribs.Prematurity:The skull is a very soft and malleable prematurely making him the remodeling succeptibil by applying external pressure.Sleeping on the back:In 1992 the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended adoption of the supine position during sleep in children to avoid the risk of sudden death, appeared at the same time a dramatic increase due to positional plagiocefaliei sleeping on your back.Congenital muscular torticollis:It is a condition caused by muscle shortening or thickening of the front side of the neck. This causes the baby's head twisting intro particular direction. Deformation is very subtle, and parents are usually the first one noticed. If your baby tends to always look in a single direction is possible that the etiology be congenital torticollis.
Signs and symptoms
Known as positional Plagiocefalia plagiocefalia Deformation of flat head syndrome is a condition found mostly in children and characterized by highlighting an area extended flat occipital determined by adopting a posterior position of the head.
Positional Plagiocefalia was considered only a cosmetic problem because it does not restrict brain growth and not on him. Yet today there is evidence that this condition can also cause other medical problems, especially if facial asymmetry is present. Some specific diseases include problems chewing and the normal diet. Visual difficulty can also become a problem and requires surgery. Head shape abnormalities cause temporomandibular joint syndrome.Plagiocefalia is not the only positional positional deformation, but is most frequently encountered.Brachycephalism positional is a pathological condition that occurs when the skull is flat and the head is high. It is observed only when the baby is sleeping head on the pillow.Positional Scafocefalia occurs when the head is long. The lateral position of the fetus result in stiff task with the head in the mother's ribs. Prematurity constitutions may also a factor.
Diagnosis
Plagiocefalie positional diagnosis is easily made. The condition is seen in 2-3 months old child. These children show a flattening of the skull occiputului half. Unlike compensatory craniosinostoza shows a bulge of the forehead on the same side of the head.Although not usually necessary, may conduct additional tests if they suspect lambdoide suture fusion. It shows a skull radiograph or computed tomography to detect still open skull sutures and synostosis lambdoidei excluded.