April 2026
Plagiocephaly Measurements Made Easy with Skully Care
You've noticed a flat spot on your baby's head, and now you want to know how serious it is. The good news: you can find out in 5 minutes, at home, with nothing more than your phone. Flat head syndrome, medically known as plagiocephaly when the flattening is on one side and brachycephaly when the back of the head is symmetrically flat, is very common. Up to one in five babies develops some degree of head shape asymmetry. Whatever you are dealing with, the first step is always the same: an accurate flat head measurement, so you know exactly where your baby stands and what to do next. This page explains how measuring works, how to do it yourself, and how Skully Care makes it simple.
Why measuring early makes all the difference
The ideal moment to take a first measurement is around 5 to 6 weeks of age. At this stage, the baby's skull is growing at its fastest, and it is precisely this rapid growth that makes improvement possible: when pressure is taken off the flattened area through repositioning, the skull has plenty of growth ahead to round out naturally. The earlier you start, the more of that growth you can use. When a flat spot is caught at 5 to 6 weeks, most cases can be resolved with a simple repositioning approach and a few targeted exercises, often within just a few sessions. Waiting longer does not make treatment impossible, but it does make it more gradual. Early measurement is what opens the door to the most effective and least invasive treatment pathway.
How is a flat head measured? The old way vs now
Traditionally, measuring a baby's head shape meant clinical tools: calipers, a craniometer, or a flexible measuring tape, sometimes combined with a plaster or thermoplastic cast of the head. A clinician would manually measure the width, length and diagonals of the skull and calculate the indices by hand. It works, but it is fiddly, time-consuming (around 45 minutes per session), and often stressful for the baby. Caliper and craniometer measurements also depend heavily on who is doing them, which makes results harder to reproduce between appointments. The modern alternative needs no toolkit at all. With a smartphone app like Skully Care, a single photo replaces the whole manual process, giving you the same clinical measurements in a fraction of the time, with a measurement deviation of just 2%.
How to measure plagiocephaly and brachycephaly at home in 5 minutes
You do not need a clinic visit or any special equipment to measure your baby's head shape. With the Skully Care app, any parent can take an accurate flat head measurement at home using just a smartphone. The only preparation is to dampen your baby's hair slightly with water. This makes the hairline clearly visible, so the app can map the contours of the head accurately, exactly as a measuring cap would do in a clinical setting. Once the hair is wet, open the app, place your baby on a flat surface, and follow the step-by-step photo guide. The app gives you instant feedback if the photo is not quite right, so you always end up with a usable image. Within 5 minutes you have a clear result showing whether a flat spot is present and how significant it is.
Understanding your results: the measurement chart
Skully Care automatically calculates the two standard indices from your photo: the Cephalic Index (CI) for overall proportions and the Cranial Vault Asymmetry Index (CVAI) for asymmetry. You don't need a medical background to read them, because the app presents both in a clear graph. As a rough guide, this is how the measurements map to severity:
Severity | CVAI (plagiocephaly) | CI (brachycephaly) |
Normal | below 3.5% | 75 to 90 |
Mild | 3.5% to 6.25% | 90 to 94 |
Moderate | 6.25% to 8.75% | 95 to 99 |
Severe | above 8.75% | 100 and above |
Want the full explanation of what each index means and how it is calculated? See our dedicated pages on the Cephalic Index and CVAI. For most parents, the key takeaway is simple: the app tells you which category your baby falls into, and what that means for the next step.
What to do after you measure
This is where Skully Care goes beyond a measurement tool and becomes a guide. Once you have your results, the app helps you decide on the right next step. If the measurements suggest a repositioning approach is appropriate, you immediately get personalised exercises you can start at home, each as a short, clear instruction video so you always know exactly what to do and how to do it safely. These same videos are used by therapists: once treatment has started, your therapist can share the right exercises with you directly, so you can keep working on your baby's head shape between appointments. If the results indicate that professional support would help, the app helps you find a qualified therapist near you. You are never left wondering what your numbers mean or what to do with them.
For professionals: the Toolkit and progress tracking
Skully Care is built to slot straight into a professional workflow. For pediatric physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals, the optional Toolkit optimises measurement conditions in clinic. The Mat ensures the baby lies in a stable, consistent position for every measurement, essential for reliable longitudinal tracking across follow-up appointments, and the Cap makes the head shape clearly visible for babies with a lot of hair, achieving the same effect as dampening the hair at home but with greater precision. Where traditional manual measurement takes around 45 minutes, Skully Care reduces this to 5 minutes without any loss in clinical accuracy, freeing therapists to spend more of each session on treatment rather than admin. And because every measurement is stored and displayed as a progress graph, you can see improvement in real numbers over time. Watching a CVAI drop from 6% to 3%, or a CI move from 95 down toward 88, gives parents concrete reassurance that the exercises are working and supports clear clinical decisions: continue, adjust, or escalate to helmet therapy if repositioning is not enough. It is exactly this combination of speed, accuracy and tracking that has made Skully Care part of daily practice for over 1,000 therapists worldwide, with a baby measured every 2 minutes.
Scientifically validated, trusted worldwide
Skully Care is not just convenient, it is clinically validated. The app has been independently tested for both validity and reliability by external scientific institutions, confirming it meets the standards required for professional healthcare use. Comparative testing shows its accuracy is nearly identical to traditional manual methods. For parents, that means the measurement you take on your kitchen floor carries real clinical weight. Curious what the science actually says? The researchers behind the studies explain their findings in two short videos.
How reliable is the Skully Care app?
How valid is the Skully Care app?
Prefer to dive into the details? Full scientific publications are available here.
Get started with Skully Care today
You don't have to wait weeks for an appointment to find out whether your baby's head shape needs attention. Whether you are a parent who just spotted a flat spot, or a professional looking to modernise your practice, Skully Care gives you the tools to measure simply, accurately and with confidence. Dampen the hair, take one photo, and within 5 minutes you have a clear, clinically validated result and a concrete next step. Sign up today and take your first measurement, or contact our team for a demonstration of the app.
Frequently asked questions about flat head measurement
How do you measure a flat head at home?
With the Skully Care app and a smartphone. Dampen your baby's hair, take one guided photo, and within 5 minutes you get the CI and CVAI values plus advice on the next step. No calipers or special equipment needed.
How do you measure plagiocephaly?
Plagiocephaly is measured with the Cranial Vault Asymmetry Index (CVAI), which compares the two diagonals of the head. A CVAI of 3.5% or higher is considered clinically significant. Skully Care calculates it automatically from a photo.
How do you measure brachycephaly?
Brachycephaly is measured with the Cephalic Index (CI), the ratio of head width to length. A CI above 90 indicates brachycephaly. The app calculates this from the same single photo.
Can you measure a baby's head shape with calipers at home?
You can, but it is difficult to do accurately and consistently without training, and results vary depending on who measures. A photo-based app removes that variability and is far easier for parents.
What is a mild flat head measurement?
Mild plagiocephaly is roughly a CVAI of 3.5% to 6.25%; mild brachycephaly a CI of about 90 to 94. Mild cases usually respond very well to early repositioning.
How often should I measure?
Measuring every few weeks is ideal during active treatment, so you can see whether the numbers are improving and adjust the approach with your therapist if needed.
Founded by mother and son, Elly and Freek
Skully Care was founded by Elly van der Grift and Freek Noz, a mother-and-son team driven by a shared mission. Elly is a pediatric physiotherapist with over 30 years of experience treating babies with skull deformities. Freek is an engineer who brings innovation to that mission. Together, they have built a solution that bridges the gap between clinic and home, empowering both professionals and parents to act early and effectively.