'Flat head' awareness week launch

AN awareness week is being launched to support babies with "flat head" syndrome in order to boost awareness of the condition.

It is hoped the event for plagiocephaly will prompt the NHS into offering treatment for the condition that affects around one in 30 youngsters in the Lothians. It is the first time the week will have taken place, with the charity behind the scheme urging Edinburgh families to get involved.

Because flat head is deemed an aesthetic rather than clinical problem, there is no funding to pay for the protective helmet which eases the condition, forcing families to fork out thousands of pounds privately.

For many the signs of the disease - caused by the softness of a baby's skull - disappear as soon as hair begins to grow, but in some cases the head can be disfigured noticeably.

The week is organised by the PlagioCare charitable trust begins on May 16.