What are deformational plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, and scaphocephaly?
The terms plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, and scaphocephaly refer to the shape of a child’s cranium when viewed from the top. Most caregivers first notice these head shapes during bath time when the child’s hair is wet and the caregiver is looking down at the top of the head. Plagiocephaly refers to an unusual flattening of one side of the occipital bone or back of the head. The child may have one ear which is displaced forward and there may be a prominence on one side of the forehead. A brachycephalic head shape is characterized by a wide and flat head shape when viewed from the top. There is typically uniform flattening of the occipital bone, or back of the head. A scaphocephalic, or dolichocephalic, head shape is characterized by a long and narrow head shape when viewed from the top.
