Cranial Asymmetry

Infants whose head shapes and/or facial features are distorted due to premature fusion of the sutures of the bones of the skull in the womb (craniosynostosis), pressure of the mother"™s pelvic bones on the skull, congenital conditions such as hemifacial microsomia in which the tissues on one side of the face are underdeveloped, or positional plagiocephaly (also known as "flat head baby syndrome"), a malformation of the skull that occurs when too much pressure is placed on one side of the head during the period following birth when a child"™s skull is soft and vulnerable. If cranial asymmetry is left untreated, problems with normal brain and skull development may occur and the child may have other associated medical issues later in life. Treatment options include fitting of an orthotic helmet to correct the malformation or surgery.