Health Encyclopedia

Newborn head molding

Definition

Newborn head molding is an abnormal head shape that results from pressure on the baby's head during childbirth.

Alternative Names

Newborn cranial deformation; Molding of the newborn's head

Information

The bones of a newborn baby's skull are soft and pliable with gaps between the plates of bone. These gaps close as the bones grow and the brain reaches its full size.

The spaces between the bony plates of the skull are called cranial sutures. There are two gaps that are particularly large, the anterior and posterior fontanelles. These are the soft spots you can feel when feeling the top of your baby's head.

During a head-first delivery, pressure on the head caused by the narrow birth canal (vagina) may mold the head into an oblong shape. Depending on the amount and duration of pressure, the skull bones may even overlap.

Fluid may also collect in the baby's scalp (caput succedaneum) or blood may collect beneath the scalp (cephalohematoma). This may further distort the shape and appearance of the head. Fluid and blood collection in and around the scalp is a common occurrence during delivery and usually disappears after a few days.

If your baby is born breech (buttocks or feet first) or by cesarean section, the head is usually round and otherwise well shaped. Extreme abnormalities in head size are NOT related to molding. See:

Craniosynostosis
Macrocephaly (abnormally large head size)
Microcephaly (abnormally small head size)

Review Date:10/23/2007
Reviewed By:Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.