Positional Plagiocephaly Symptoms and Diagnosis | Seattle Children's Hospital

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Symptoms of Positional Plagiocephaly

A baby with positional plagiocephaly has flatness on the back of the skull. This is usually asymmetric because the baby likes to rest on one side more than another. Or, it can be symmetric if the baby always lies on the middle of the back of the head.

Positional plagiocephaly includes many variations of asymmetric skulls. It ranges from mild and not very noticeable to severe and very apparent.

Sometimes the skull adapts to the pressure to produce asymmetry of the forehead. And, sometimes only the back of the head is involved.

Positional Plagiocephaly Diagnosis

To diagnose this condition, your doctor will examine your child’s head carefully. The doctor will check for features like bony ridges, flat areas, and asymmetric ears and forehead.

Our team is experienced in looking for the clinical signs that distinguish positional plagiocephaly from craniosynostosis. Although these two conditions can look similar, they need very different kinds of treatment.

Who Treats This at Seattle Children's?

Should your child see a doctor?

Find out by selecting your child’s symptom or health condition in the list below:

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Summer 2009: Good Growing Newsletter

In This Issue

  • Respecting Differences
  • Family Meals, Healthier Meals
  • The Risks of Bed Sharing
  • Be Sun Smart

Download Good Growing:
Summer 2009 (PDF)