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Deformational plagiocephaly (DP), in which an infant has an asymmetric head shape due to external molding forces, has become more prevalent since the start of the Back to Sleep campaign to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Investigators in the Netherlands prospectively evaluated 380 healthy infants (gestational age, >36 weeks) within 48 hours of birth and at age 7 weeks for DP. Demographic, obstetric, anthropometric, developmental, and care characteristics were examined as potential risk factors.
Based on a geometric index to assess head shape, 6% of the newborn babies had DP. The condition was associated with male sex, first-born birth rank, and brachycephaly. At 7 weeks of age, 22% of the cohort had DP. At this age, DP was strongly ass…