Diagnosis of Plagiocephaly
First Signs and Symptoms
Positional plagiocephaly is usually easy for parents to notice.
Typically, the back of the child's head, called the occiput, and the ear
on the flattened side may be pushed forward. In severe cases, there
may be bulging on the side opposite from the flattening and the child's
forehead may be asymmetrical (or uneven), although this is unusual in
full-term infants. If torticollis is the cause of the baby's flattened head,
the neck, jaw, and face may be asymmetrical.
How Is It Formally Diagnosed?
Most often, your child's doctor can make the diagnosis of positional plagiocephaly simply by examining your child's head, without having to order lab tests or X-rays. The doctor will also note whether regular repositioning of your child's head during sleep successfully reshapes the child's growing skull over time, whereas craniosynostosis, on the other hand, typically worsens over time.
If there's still some doubt, X-rays or a CT scan of the head will show your child's doctor if the skull bones are normally separated or if they fused together too soon. If the bones aren't fused, the doctor will probably rule out craniosynostosis and confirm that the child has positional plagiocephaly.