In God's Image? The Tradition of Infant Head Shaping

Intentional modification of the infant's head has been commonly practiced at all times and in virtually every region of the inhabited world. Motives included aesthetic perception of the human head, greater attractiveness, symbolization of ethnic identity, demonstration of noble origin or sociocultural status, and supposed health benefits. The desired shape was achieved by repeated hand massage, or by using devices like cradleboards, which were applied throughout infancy. In some regions, infant head shaping was the rule rather than the exception. Whereas chronic modification of the skull during the first year of life had no adverse effects, one-time postnatal head shaping by the midwife was a dangerous procedure. Recommended by Soran in the second century CE, it remained in practice for 17 centuries. With the advent of positional plagiocephaly following the back-to-sleep campaign, head shaping has regained acceptance and is now being widely used again.