THIS PETITION CLOSED ON 31st MARCH 2006 - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT - FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT http://groups.msn.com/plagiouk/yourwebpage1.msnw or www.plagiouk.co.uk/petition/petition.html This is a petition to ask that UK paediatric health professionals modify their advice so that the incidence of permanent deformational plagiocephaly in UK infants and children is minimised OUR TARGET: THE PRIME MINISTER: The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP Copying: 1. THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE England - The Department of Health: The Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, MP Northern Ireland - Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Minister for the DHSSPS, Shaun Woodward Scotland - Scottish Executive Health Department: Minister for Health and Community Care, Andy Kerr Wales - Health and Social Care Department: Minister for Health and Social Services, Dr Brian Gibbons 2. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE (NICE): Sir Michael Rawlins, Chairman 3. THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH: Professor Alan Craft, President 4. THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS: Dr Roger Neighbour, President; Dr Mayur Lakhani, Chairman 5. FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF INFANT DEATHS (FSID): Mike Wingfield, Chairman 6. THE NATIONAL CHILDBIRTH TRUST: Gillian Fletcher, President 7. THE COMMUNITY PRACTITIONERS\' AND HEALTH VISITORS\' ASSOCIATION: Karen Reay, Executive Committee Director BACKGROUND: Deformational plagiocephaly is an increasingly common condition in babies in the UK, whereby the head has become flattened at the back. Great Ormond Street Hospital says that some reports estimate that it affects half of all babies under one. It can be caused in the womb before birth, after birth by stiff neck muscles (torticollis), or by excessively long periods of time spent with the head resting in one position on a firm flat surface. It can be worsened if the stiff neck muscles are not treated or where a baby continually rests its head in one position whilst sleeping, in car seats, prams, Moses baskets, bouncy chairs, baby swings, and so on. More cases of deformational plagiocephaly have been seen since the advent of the