What is Brachycephaly?
[brae·kuh·seh·fuh·lee]
Brachycephaly is an infant head deformity in which the head looks wider than you'd expect.
It’s similar to plagiocephaly, but brachycephaly shows as a flat back of the head and appears shortly after birth.
What To Look For
What causes Brachycephaly?
Many infants like to sleep with their limbs outstretched, like a starfish. Infants who regularly sleep in this position may have lower muscle tone, which leads to the head flattening on the back of their skull.
STARFISH
SLEEPING
Infants who struggle with tummy time or have bad reflux often take longer to develop the muscle strength tummy time provides. This leads to them spending more time lying on their back, putting them at greater risk of developing brachycephaly.
TROUBLES WITH
TUMMY TIME
BEING BORN
PREMATURE
Premature babies have softer bones when they’re born. They are also often required to wear a respirator for weeks or months, which forces their head to stay in the position for long periods of time. This puts them at a greater chance of developing an asymmetrical head shape.
BEING BORN
PREMATURE
LIFESTYLE
If your infant spends a lot of time in a swing, car seat, or baby carrier, this creates pressure on the back of their head. Over long periods, this can cause their head shape to change.
Treating infant Brachycephaly with ROKband
ROKbands are a safe and effective option to treat infant bracychephaly. ROKbands treat brachycephaly by holding areas of the head that have extra volume (in brachycephaly, typically the sides) and re-directing new growth where it’s needed to correct the symmetry. These areas are identified during a 3D head shape scan, and your ROKband is designed for your baby based on their scans.
