Deformities in babies' skulls generally occur due to deformation, or in other words, position-related. However, the primary cause of deformity may not be the sleeping position of babies. Asst. Assoc. Dr. Alper Özkılıç gave information about skull deformities seen in newborns.
Skull Deformities are crookedness, flatness or asymmetry seen in the skulls of newborn babies due to various reasons. There are types such as plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and scaphocephaly. Child Health and Diseases Specialist Asst. Assoc. Dr. Alper Özkılıç said the following about newborn skull deformities: However, the primary reason for deformity is not the sleeping position of babies. A deformity occurs in the skull due to the combination of other reasons that may begin before birth. Defects in these babies with open sutures can be corrected with exercise and orthotic helmet treatment without surgery.”
Leaving Babies to One Side in the Cradle for a Long Time Causes Skull Deformity
Stating that skull deformity occurs due to one or more reasons. Özkılıç said, “It is more likely to be seen in twins and male babies. The risk of occurrence is very high in patients with torticollis. In babies, prenatal posture in the womb, cesarean section, premature or difficult and long births are factors that increase the risk of head deformity. In addition to these reasons, babies' heads lying on one side for a long time in the cradle, prolonged posture in the car seat, prolonged use of rocking cradles and strollers, etc. “Other factors also contribute to the progression of the deformity,” he said.
Dr. Özkılıç, “Another type of skull disorders occur due to craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis is the premature closure of one or more bones in the skull at their junctions (sutures). Surgical intervention is usually required. These types of disorders are much rarer. "Early diagnosis in the first 3 months after birth can be vital," he said.
Encourage your baby to crawl, push, pull and hold objects
Dr. Özkılıç, “As recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics; For your baby's safety, always place him/her on his/her back. Make sure he stays in an upright position for certain periods of time while he's awake. Develop games that will allow him to be in different positions and hold him in different positions. "Change the direction of his head while sleeping at night, lay him on his back in the opposite direction of the flat place," he informed.
Dr. Özkılıç, “Encourage babies to crawl, roll over on their backs, push, pull, grab and hold objects. "Do tummy time activities with your baby many times a day while he or she is awake with you and under your control," he added.
Dr. Alper Özkılıç listed other precautions that can be taken for skull deformities as follows:
- If your baby's neck muscle is short (torticollis) and therefore his head lies only in one direction, get help from a physiotherapist. .
- Try to keep the use of vehicles such as strollers, car seats, cradles and rocking cradles limited and short.
- In cases where changing the direction of the head and prone activities do not contribute sufficiently to the correction of the disorder, consult an Orthotic helmet specialist. contact us.
Early Diagnosis is Important in Skull Deformities Noticed After Birth
Some of the skull deformities noticed after birth may be permanent. "For this reason, early diagnosis is very important," said Dr. Özkılıç continued his words as follows: “The pediatrician who follows the babies monthly after birth should first be able to rule out craniosynostosis in babies with crooked heads. If the baby has craniosynostosis, the relevant pediatric neurosurgeon performs emergency endoscopic surgery in the first 3 months after birth, and helmet treatment support is required for full recovery of the deformation after the surgery. After ruling out craniosynostosis, the pediatrician should monitor head deformities in the first months and try positioning and family education if no results are obtained. Orsa should be sent to an orthotist from the age of 3 months. There, in the 3-D screening test measurements, in babies aged between 3-6 months, the baby is followed up with position changes and prone activities in cases of moderate deformities. In cases of deformities above moderate, treatment is started by having a helmet made according to the measurements. In babies over 6 months, treatment is started with moderate deformities. Helmet treatment is applied directly to deformations of degree and above. Helmet treatment is used for an average of 3-4 months, 23 hours a day. "Starting helmet treatment at the 12th month and later is not recommended because growth slows down significantly and the sutures close well," he said.
Read: 0
