Health

Plagiocephaly – the flat head syndrome

July 6, 2020

Osteopathy and plagiocephaly

The osteopathic treatment of plagiocephaly combined to the positioning advices and helmet (depending on the severity) offer an approach that can contribute to correct the malformation of a baby’s head.

The work of the osteopath is to identify which bony and membranous structures, muscles and ligaments of the head and the whole body of the baby present tensions related to skull deformities. Using precise manipulations without using force or significant pressure, the osteopath restores the shape and mobility of each structure. Today, it is recognized that the junctions of the skull are open15 and this is why the osteopath precisely work on making the skull more malleable and mobile on its numerous sutures and joints to correct "the volume" of the baby's head.

To increase the potential of correcting the malformation of the skull and to reduce the number of sessions, I can honestly say as osteopath specializing in babies, that my clinical experience has led me to observe that the involvement of parents is vital. I often remind parents that every gesture and every day counts in our work against the ossification of the skull and its sutures.

I use lessons of positioning the baby with accurate and easy instructions that can easily be done at home and at any time.

I teach parents techniques for "sculpting" the baby's skull. When performed daily, these simple and soft gestures on the baby's head help during treatment to improve the asymmetries in the overall appearance of the skull.

The number of sessions of osteopathic treatment varies according to the baby's age and the severity of the asymmetry. In the osteopathic clinical practice, it has been observed that 4-7 treatments are required for mild to moderate plagiocephaly and between 5-9 treatments are required for moderate to severe cases16 to significantly correct the defects of the skull, considering all the factors involved in the overall condition of the baby in pre and post-partum.

References

1. Terpenning, 2001
2. Biggs, 2003, Peitsch & al., 2002
3. Kelly & al.,1999, Pollack & al.,1997
4. Biggs, 2003
5. Biggs, 2003
6. Brun& & al., 2004, Peitsch & al,. 2002
7. Sergueef & al,. 2006, Hutchison, 2003, Terpenning, 2002
8. Huang & al., 1996
9. Teichgraeber & al., 2002, Kane & al., 1996, Lessard, 2007
10. Kane,1996, Persing & al., 1996
11. Frymann, 2006, Lessard, 2007, Kelly & al., 1999, Pollack & al., 1997
12. Biggs, 2003, Kelly & al., 1999, Lessard, 2007
13. Ripley & al., 1994, Sergueef & al., 2006, Lessard, 2007
14. Kelly & al., 1999
15. Pollack & al., 1997
16. Carreiro, 2003, Solano, 2002, Sergueef & al., 2006, Lessard, 2007
 

 

Camille Bernard
Ostéopath, B.Sc.

Camille Bernard is an osteopath. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Osteopathy Sciences, University of Wales, UK. Her diploma was obtained at the College of Osteopathy in Montreal. As part of her training, she conducted a qualitative research on the clinical specificities of osteopathy for the newborns. She works as an osteopath specialized in newborns, children and pregnant women. Hospitals, CLSC and CSSS, birthing homes and breastfeeding clinics refer pediatricians, nurses, GPs, midwives and specialists patients to Camille Bernard for osteopathic treatments. She has also been breastfeeding godmother at Nourri Source for over 15 years where she accompanies and advises mothers in their breastfeeding experience. You can visit her website or contact her by email or by phone at 514.577.6313

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