Dolichocephaly was more common in preterm fetuses in the breech presentation than those in the cephalic presentation and was more common in fetuses with oligohydramnios of long duration. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

It can present be in cases of Sensenbrenner syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Sotos syndrome as well as Marfan syndrome. [en.wikipedia.org]

• Disability

  Neuroimaging and molecular cytogenetics were used to ascertain the cause of disability in a case. The case was diagnosed to be a variant of Miller-Dieker syndrome (MDS). Retrospective analysis showed a prenatal scan reporting dolichocephaly. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Sarimski K: Behavioural and emotional characteristics in children with Sotos syndrome and learning disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol 2003;45:172. [doi.org]

• Anemia

  Dolichocephaly was noted in all the male children of this family in association with congenital megaloblastic anemia and proteinuria. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Respiratory Distress

  In fetuses with preterm premature rupture of membranes it is associated with respiratory distress syndrome, but not otherwise with a poor neonatal prognosis. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Dolichocephaly

  The presence of dolichocephaly was highest in infants between 32 and 34 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) (39%). [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Dolichocephaly (derived from the Ancient Greek δολιχός, meaning "long") is a condition where the head is longer than would be expected, relative to its width. In humans, scaphocephaly is a form of dolichocephaly. [en.wikipedia.org]

• Suggestibility

  Dolichocephaly should be considered when cephalometry alone suggests a diagnosis of placental insufficiency. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Although there have been no rigorous prospective studies to address this concern, there is currently no evidence to suggest that positional skull deformity causes developmental delays. 8, 16, –, 18 There has been some early motor skill developmental delay [pediatrics.aappublications.org]

Treatment is not essential. Brachycephaly Cephalic index Plagiocephaly [en.wikipedia.org]

A larger randomized study is needed to recommend routine use of MPS for prevention and/or treatment of cranial molding in premature infants. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Please consult your own licensed physician regarding diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition! Please see also our disclaimer. This site complies with the HONcode standard for health information: verify here. Database updated 2019-02-19. [diseasesdatabase.com]

If there is an element of torticollis (neck stiffness) this will also require treatment in order for the repositioning therapy to be effective. [aans.org]

In fetuses with preterm premature rupture of membranes it is associated with respiratory distress syndrome, but not otherwise with a poor neonatal prognosis. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine effectiveness of a midliner positioning system (MPS, Tortle Midliner) for preventing dolichocephaly. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Prevention The best treatment for a flat head is to prevent it from happening. It is important to establish these habits early! When flattening is noticed early, the same techniques used for prevention can help nip it in the bud. [healthychildren.org]

Preventive Counseling To prevent the deformity, parents should be counseled during the newborn period (by 2–4 weeks of age) when the skull is maximally deformable. [pediatrics.aappublications.org]

[…] premature babies are more likely to develop a flattened head because their skull is softer when they're born, and they may prefer to rest their head on 1 side at first as they're not yet able to move their head themselves neck muscle tightness – this can prevent [nhs.uk]