Baby head deformities on rise

By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK

The number of babies with head deformities is still on the rise, despite a warning that parents should regularly change a child's sleeping position.

Middlemore Hospital craniofacial specialist Tristan de Chalain confirmed yesterday that hospital resources were being "flooded" with head deformity complaints due to babies sleeping on their backs.

While placing babies on their backs was the best way to avoid cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids), Dr de Chalain said many children were developing flat spots on their heads because of lying in the same position all the time, a condition called occipital plagiocephaly.

The number of referrals in Auckland for head deformities had increased by 300 per cent in the past four years, following international reports that babies could best avoid Sids and cot death by sleeping on their backs.

"We're not keen to dilute the message that babies should sleep on their backs. We endorse that 100 per cent, but we have to do something about this growing problem.

"It's flooding resources. We don't have the resources to deal with these people."

Dr de Chalain said because babies heads were so soft, they could easily change shape due to prolonged pressure on the same spot.

The best way to avoid cranial deformities was to turn a baby's head from one side to another on alternating sleeps.

Auckland Healthcare, through the Community Child Health and Disability Service, set up a special home visit service called Plagiocephaly Clinic this year to specifically deal with the rising number of referrals.

A team leader for the child development section of the service, Madeleine Sands, said the organisation had received more than 50 referrals last year and five within the past week.

Dr de Chalain said one of the only ways to correct severe cases was to mould the head with a cranial helmet.

Meanwhile, Middlemore Hospital has applied to run trials involving neonatal babies being wrapped in a special device to see whether varied head positions could be selected and maintained during sleep.