Who has an increased chance of developing positional plagiocephaly?
Several conditions can increase the chance that a baby will develop plagiocephaly. When a mother is pregnant with multiple babies (such as twins or triplets), the babies may be too crowded to move about freely in the womb, therefore receiving constant pressure on their skulls. Babies born to mothers with unusually-shaped wombs or uterine fibroids may also be crowded before birth. Once born, all babies have some pressure on their skulls from such things as mattresses and baby carriers. However, infants who cannot or do not move from one position to another may develop flattened skulls from this pressure. Premature infants can develop plagiocephaly because their skull bones are softer than those of full-term babies, and they cannot move their heads as easily. Infants with torticollis (a condition causing limited movement of the neck) have a strong preference to look in one direction and may also develop skull asymmetry. In addition, babies with medical problems or delayed development may
