Little Heads, Lasting

Impact

Head shape can be influenced by a variety of factors early in a baby’s development. Positioning in the womb may place gentle pressure on certain areas of the head, while after birth, a preference for turning the head to one side or neck tightness (such as torticollis) can lead to uneven shaping. Babies who spend extended time in the NICU may also experience prolonged positioning that contributes to changes in head shape.

In rare cases, head shape differences may be related to craniosynostosis, a condition where one or more of the skull sutures fuse too early, potentially affecting normal skull growth and requiring medical

PLAGIOCEPHALY

A simplified illustration of a person's head seen from above, showing hairline, ears, and the top of the scalp.

  • One sided flattening

  • Usually accompanied by Torticollis or side lying preference

  • Possible ear shift

  • Increased Cranial Vault Asymmetry (CVA) 6.0mm or above

  • Goal- Prevent long diagonal growth and reduce CVA to 6.0mm or less

BRACHYCEPHALY

Top view of a human head illustration showing the scalp with dotted lines indicating areas for hair transplant.

  • Central flattening

  • Bilateral bossing leading to a widened head

  • Bilateral Frontal flattening

  • Increase Cephalic Ratio (CR) .90 to greater (Length to Width ratio)

  • Goal- Reduce CR to .90 or below

DOLICHOCEPHALY

A diagram of a human head viewed from the front, showing the scalp.

  • Often Called Scaphocephaly

  • Elongated head shape with bilateral flattening

  • Decreased Cephalic Ratio (CR) .76 or less (Length to Width ratio)

  • Goal- Increase CR to .76 or above

CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

Craniosynostosis is the premature closure of the cranial sutures, preventing normal head growth and potentially restricting brain development. This condition typically requires surgery to correct skull shape and allow for proper growth. Depending on the type of procedure, patients are often placed in a helmet for up to a year after surgery to help guide healing. These children may require a second or third helmet over time, and 3D-printed helmets are not recommended for post-surgical cases.

Diagram of different types of cephalic presentations with classifications for fetal head positions in labor, including synostotic, metopic, sagittal, bicoronal, lambdoid, anterior and posterior plagiocaphaly, normocephaly, and deformed posteror plagiocaphaly.

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