Treatment Process/Diagnosis

If you recognize that your baby has a flat spot or abnormal head shape, the first thing you should do is talk to your pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that pediatricians evaluate the baby’s head at each visit from the top, both sides, the front, and the back. The AAP also recommends that pediatricians discuss repositioning and the importance of “tummy time”. When your baby is awake and supervised, “tummy time” is a good way to take pressure off the flattened areas, build strong neck and trunk muscles, and will help your baby learn to roll, sit, and crawl when the time comes. If there is a neck muscle imbalance or a delay in development, your pediatrician may refer your baby to a therapist for physical or occupational therapy. The pediatrician may also recommend that a pediatric neurosurgeon or craniofacial specialist assess your baby’s head shape to ensure that the sutures are all open and to check for any other skull shape disorders.

The specialist will examine your baby, and may order an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI to rule out the possibility of craniosynostosis, which is a premature fusion of the sutures in the head and is much less common than deformational plagiocephaly.
Craniosynostosis can cause head shape deformities similar to deformational plagiocephaly and deformational scaphocephaly, and may require surgery to remove the suture. After surgery, the physician may order a STAR cranial remolding orthosis for
protection of the incision site or to acquire additional correction of the shape or proportion.

If your baby is diagnosed with deformational plagiocephaly, brachycephaly or scaphocephaly
and is between the ages of 3 and 18 months, your pediatrician or specialist may prescribe a
STARband cranial remolding orthoses. The STARband is a plastic and foam device designed
to gently correct your baby’s head.