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| Tuesday, 13 December 2005 11:06 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk
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Parents who put their babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of cot death are increasing their infant’s risk of a flattened skull, a leading surgeon has said.
Norman Waterhouse, a specialist tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons, said instances of plagiocephaly – flattened skull syndrome in babies – have increased sharply as more parents seek to avoid sudden infant death by putting their babies to sleep on their backs.
Research has suggested that half of all children aged one and under suffer from some degree of the condition, which can cause misalignment of the ears and eyes, and Professor Waterhouse said a Swedish designed pillow provides a cheap solution to the problem.
He said: "With early recognition, this problem could be reduced by simple measures - such as special pillows designed to support infants' heads in the first six months of life. This would reduce the need for more complex treatments such as moulding helmets."
Severe cases can require treatment with an expensive moulding helmet which is not available on the NHS. However, the Swedish Goi-Goi range provides head and neck support to very young children without posing a suffocation threat as regular pillows can.
Prof Waterhouse said: "There is not enough education on this subject. Many parents are told to ignore the problem, and that it will go away on its own. This is not always the case.
"I believe that better understanding of the condition will help Paediatricians and General Practitioners to advise parents appropriately and offer simple strategies for prevention and improvement."
Prof Waterhouse added that babies should continue to sleep on their backs, even without the pillow.
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