The latest studies estimate that 25 to 40% of babies have a flat head in the first few months after birth.
There are many reasons for these deformations: foetal position, very long or too fast delivery, first-born, prematurity, caesarean section, etc.
The medical and paramedical world is itself divided on how to deal with these asymmetries: physiotherapy, osteopathy, cranial prostheses and even, in some cases, doing nothing, it will recover by itself.
Plagiocephaly - Brachycephaly
A baby's motor development depends on their settling in throughout the day.
In reality, some deformations appear around 3 months. Others are present from birth but disappear quickly. Or increase.
Children with a deformity beyond the age of 4 months rarely regain a round skull shape before walking.
Babies with a flat head all have postural asymmetry: rotated head tilt, banana body and pelvic tilt associated with functional hypertonia.
Some children will naturally correct their hypotonia or hypertonia, and therefore get out of this postural asymmetry.
Which corrects the flat head. Others will stay in this postural asymmetry which will turn into muscle asymmetry in the first few months.
A team work
The method
In our practice we take care of children with a flat head jointly in physiotherapy and osteopathy.
Firstly, the osteopath will release the articular and tissue structures (using techniques adapted to babies) that maintain the infant in its bad postural pattern. This release will then inhibit the use of the asymmetrical muscles of the little being in development.
In a second phase, physiotherapy will consist of learning to use the body and its muscles in symmetry, and in harmony between the agonists and antagonists. The child will learn to like being on his stomach and to move in order to evolve with a good motor development.
Our statistics confirm that harmonious motor development allows the skull to regain its shape.
That's why i work on the Tamoli babymat.
