Depending on a baby’s most common sleeping position, the skull takes on a different shape.
Types Of Flat Head Syndrome

Asymmetrical Brachycephaly
- Head is excessively wider and taller than normal with sloped forehead
- Facial asymmetry present (where ears and eyes might appear mis-aligned)
- Combination of plagiocephaly and brachycephaly, top head shape resembles a trapezoid

Brachycephaly
- Tips of ears protrude
- Face appears smaller to size of head
- Widest part of head is just above ears
- Flattened back of head visible from side view and head shape resembles a trapezoid from above
- Head is abnormally wide (in normal head shapes, width is 73-78% of length)
- Head can be high at the back causing a bulging forehead visible from side view

Plagiocephaly
- Head shape resembles a parallelogram from top view
- Facial asymmetry might be present (differing positions of ears, sizes of cheeks, eyes)
- Most common flat head syndrome type, also known as deformational or positional plagiocephaly
- Asymmetrical (misshapen) head shape results from repeated pressure to the same area causing flatness on one side

Scaphocephaly
- Deformity of proportion
- Characterised by a long and narrow head shape caused by constant positioning of the baby on one side
- Premature babies are particularly prone to this since their skulls are fragile, side-lying positions are used in the neonatal intensive care for easy access to monitors and equipment