Experience with Non-symetrical Skull for 3 Month Old

You have nothing to worry about! It will round out, trust me! My son was born 2 months early and even though he was c-section, he had an elongated head. It was so scary looking! It looked like his brain was growing out the back of his head. I never thought his head would round out. But apparently it takes a while for the skull to actually bond together. I think it took 5 months or so for my son's head to finally round out.

Wow! Helmets? My son had a flat side - can't remember if it was his left or right. Eventually, it worked itself out. The pediatrician said not to be worried and try to lay him on the opposite side, when he goes to sleep.

M.

Unfortunately, this is what happens when drs insist on putting
babies on their backs to sleep - it flattens their heads out!
Try to get her to sleep on her side some of the time, and even
HEAVEN FORBID - on her stomach... (I know, I know, SIDS is the
big issue, but I raised 3 kids sleeping on their stomach, and
they all lived)
As for the cradle cap - that could really become a problem. My granddaughter had it, we didn't think it was any big deal,
and it spread. Made her MISERABLE.... Her skin started getting splotchy on her face, neck and shoulders, and we didn't know until taking her to the dr that it was the cradle cap. There is a prescription shampoo you can get if it gets really bad, otherwise, we were told to put mineral oil on her
scalp. Just don't let it get away from you. Good luck!

Hi! Lots of good advice here already. Flat spots are often due to lying on the back too much, and in this case possibly with the head turned. Start making sure to put you baby on her tummy every day when she is awake. Due to SIDS, the message is spread to sleep on the back, but sometimes overlooked to still do tummy time for play. If she screams b/c she hates it you need to do it anyway, this is how the back muscles develop for motor milestones, etc. I've told parents to step out of the room for 3-5 minutes if they can't stand it, just be sure she's on a firm surface (floor) without any suffocating objects. Sometimes over a pillow so they can see better is helpful and allows more play. (I'm a Physical therapist, so am speaking medically) Also, do go see your MD for proper referrals for all the reasons previously listed. Good luck and always go with your gut, moms know their kids!

Definitely go and get it evaluated. We went to a pediatric plastic surgeon at Children's Memorial for the evaluation and referral for a helmet. My daughter was diagnosed with torticollis at 3 months, and in retrospect she had more of a muscle imbalance than torticollis. Anyhow, I noticed her head seemed really misshapen at 6 months despite me trying to position her sleeping differently, lots of tummy time, etc. At 7 months she saw the doctor who said I had the option of waiting it out to see if it improved vs. getting a helmet. I was so glad I insisted on getting the helmet!! She only had to wear it 2 months and it really didn't bother her noticeably. From the before and after pictures the difference was really impressive. Also, she is now 4 and her head shape has NOT changed since we stopped using the helmet. This says to me that if we had not gotten the helmet, that her head shape would still be very misshapen. We stopped using the helmet after 2 months because she outgrew it and we were told that the benefit of getting a new one would be minimal. Good luck!!

V. - All babies heads are a bit 'off-kilter' as infants, but this is not a question for a non-professional. You really need to run this by your Dr.
As for cradle cap - odd that it's only in that area. All 4 of my daughters had it to some extent but it was always all over the top, evenly distributed. K.

Don't worry. Both of my kids had very flat heads as babies. It's called Positional Plagiocephaly. "It's most often the result of babies spending a lot of time lying on their backs or often being in a position where the head is resting against a flat surface (such as in cribs, strollers, swings, and playpens)". Here is a link that describes this more thoroughly
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/positional...

Now you can't even tell that my 3 year old daughter had a flat head. My 19 month old son's head is slowly shaping back to normal.

A couple of things you can do is a lot of tummy time while she's awake. (My babies didn't like tummy time at all, but I wish I was more persistant!) This will keep her off the back of her head and strengthen her neck muscles. You can also reposition her head when she's sleeping by slightly turning it. I bought a pillow similar to this Head Bed product http://www.infantheadbed.com/ that sort of helped too. Good luck!

Hi V.,

If the child is on his/her back they will develop a flat spot. I would not worry to much about it however, when you have your next dr. appot. I would mention it to him/her. Try some tummy time on a blanket more often. It will also help with muscle development in the neck and back and also help her start to develope muscles to roll over and sit up faster. Regarding the cradle cap, my sons both had it and the Doctor perscribed ELOCON Ointment. It is a perscription and worked wonders to clear it up.

Whatever you do go with your gut feeling!!! My daughter now 19.5 months has a flat head in the back. I have been bothered by it since she was 3 months. Her dr. who I do really like said it was fine but gave us a referal to a crainial (sp) in Chicago so that we could ease my anxiety. We went and saw him, him touched her soft spot said its all good it (her brain) will push it out probably by 1 yr old. But then also gave us the maker of a helmet company in Naperville and said that if we arent comfortable with the progress to contact them. However he did warn us that they are there to sell the helmets so take what they say with a grain of salt. So after a heated discussion with my husband we let it go and waited for it to fix itself. Well as mentioned she is now 19.5 months and it is still too flat for my liking. I regret so much not seeking another opinion or going with my gut to do the helmet therapy. So all in all the only advice I really can give you is go with your motherly instinct about what to do.

Hi there, I know the docs tell you to lay your baby on his/her back, but I have seen so many babies get a flat side on the back of the head(sounds like where you are describing) from having their baby on their back all the time. I would suggest trying to have your baby sleep on her tummy most of the time. Years ago, docs told all mothers never to lay their babies on their backs and it has only been in the last 10 or so years that docs have switched to the "back to sleep". Best to you! PS. If you are looking for something for the cradle cap, try Arbonne's baby oil. It has no mineral oil in it and will do wonders. Cradle cap is a b-vitamin dif. ~C.

V. - Here's a plagiocephaly site that just came out in my most recent babycenter newsletter - copy to your address bar:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_plagiocephaly-flat-head-syndr...

My little guy at 2 months has flat places on each side behind the ears. We have our next appointment next week, so we'll be discussing it again with the doctor to see what she thinks. Unfortunately, there is also some asymmetry in his face. We're trying repositioning, tummy time, and holding him up versus in cradle hold as much as possible. Best wishes to you!!

Agree with all the responses. I do some consulting work with a pediatric therapy center (I'm NOT a doctor or med professsional). Just in casual conversation, they've mentioned that this condition should definitely be brought to a doctor's or specialist's attention. Sometimes it works out on its own, but sometimes it can lead to asymmetry of the head with can affect things like vision (eyes aren't even so can't work together). The earlier caught, the easier (and shorter) treatment is. But a specialist can most likely tell you whether treatment is needed or not. Like most have said, tummy time while awake will help whether he needs treatment or not.

A few resources (disclaimer: I consult for Pathways, and also take both my daughters there for therapy):

http://www.pathwaysawareness.org/whatcanido/276
Tummy Time Tips

http://www.pathwayscenter.org/ (Pediatric therapy center in Glenview - will do a free, 15-minute evaluation)

http://citykidsinc.squarespace.com/ (another pediatric therapy center on the NW side that has a great repuation)

Good luck!

you have to talk to your doctor about it. Your baby is still a little young. So start putting her on her tummy everytime she is awake. If she doesnt like it just keep trying or find something that interests her. My daughter loved a certain video so we watched everyday to get her on her tummy.(it was the only time she didn't realize she was on it) If it doesnt seem to get better or you think its really bad now the doctor will probably send you to cranial technologies(there is one in Oakbrook) for them to take some measurments. Usually they dont do anything till around 4-5 months. If neccessary they will put her in a helmet to reshape the skull. It takes a week to get used to but it works great. My daughter is on her 2nd one and she barely notices and her head looks much better. Good luck. dont stress if you get her on her tummy now she wont have to go thru anything.

This is a common condition called plagiocephaly. Occasionally it grows out on its own, but having it checked by a pediatric chiropractor will ensure restoring the shape. To find a chiropractor in your area go to www.icpa4kids.org. Many times this can be accompanied by torticollis (tilt of the head to one side). Extreme forms of treatment can involve a helmet fitted by a pediatric speicialist. It sounds like your case is mild and non-invasive chiropractic care should be all you need. Hard for me to be sure without seeing her to confirm. Feel free to email me.
In health,
J.

My son is wearing a helmet. He's 10 months now. I've been told by the Dr.'s and physical therapists flatness is caused by positioning but also that certain ethnicities have it worse than others(polish, hispanic). My head and my dads head are quite flat and we were both put to sleep on our tummies. So there is some genetics to it as well. My son also has only rolled over a handful of times and is spending 12-13 hours at night, every night on his back. I'm so glad we have the helmet because I would have thought by now he would be sleeping on his stomach but that's not happening. I don't have to worry now. BTW, my pediatrician did not recommend the helmet or seeing a specialist. We have good insurance so just went ahead and made an appointment at the suggestion of many friends and well intentioned strangers. We see Dr. Vicari with Children's. He has an office in Glenbrook where the did a scan of my sons head to objectively measure how far from normal he was. My son was pretty bad and the measurements were much easier to swallow than someone saying he had a flat head and trying to sell a helmet. Good luck. Feel free to contact me if you want more info.

homeopathy can help heal skulls that are a little crooked (called plagiocephaly). my homeopath helped a baby and the baby didn't have to wear one of the helmets. it was 50% better in 1.5mos w/o a helmet and a helmet would normally take 4 mos to get that kind of improvement. Here's the webpage w/ photos. The dr.'s website is www.dupagehomeopathic.com
http://www.dupagehomeopathic.com/homeopathic_photographs....

You can email me more offline about homeopathy, if you'd like, or read some more about it on dr. Polich's website. This dr. is giving a free talk on Saturday in Naperville from 10-12, but you have to call to register. The info is on her homepage.

My brother's little boy has this same problem. His head is very flat on the backside. He is 5 months old and has just been fitted w/ a helmet. He has to wear this 23 hrs. of the day. He isnt very comfortable right now, but when done this youn, they end up not wearing it as long. You may want to be referred by your dr. to a specialist in this area.

This is very common these days because babies have to be on their backs so much. Tummy time is important: keeps them off their backs. My granddaughter had to have a helmet made for her so that her head would not be flat. Talk to your pediatrician first of all. An orthotist can usually make the helmet. Some of them are cute and look like a football helmet. Some are partial helmets. It worked for my granddaughter.

S. g

Yes! I just took my son for his 4 month check-up and asked him about what I can do. He said the impact is really just cosmetic, but it can cause an issue with eye alignment.

His suggestion is to roll a towl up and put it behind his shoulders when he is sitting upright. Also, he said babies seem to favor one view when sleeping so to change thier position in the crib so that they are not always on one particular side. So if she likes to look out of the crib, put her feet where normally you would put her head.

A.

It sounds like a mild case of positional plagiocephaly ( a fancy name for a flat spot on the head due to a preferred head position). Does she prefer to keep her head turned to one side vs. the other?

I would take her in to visit your family doctor he/she can answer your question or find someone with professional knowledge that can. Skull development is important.

D.

My niece has 2 little girls that had flat spots. Her dr. said it would go away...It didn't. They are 10 and 12 and only their hair covers he flatness. I tried telling her to wrap the girls up tightly in their baby blankets and lean them against a rolled up blankee on their side in their crib. Sometimes the soft spot can be damaged from laying flat on the back. There are 3 medical names for this condition depending on where the flat spot is. It can affect the jaw and different things. Check into it by a bones specialist. I was in the specialists office when I saw the diagram of what happens to these children. Make an appt. Better safe than sorry.

I had a friend who was concerned about her son's head as when he was an infant. She brought her concern to her dr. and the child was sent for futher testing. It is better to ask your dr. to look in to it, my friend now has a brace for her son's head to help with the shape, and is soo thankful she caught it while he was young.

I learned from experience that not all flat heads follow the classic pattern. My son's was also in that spot more or less. Definitely talk to your pediatrician because there is a window of opportunity to intervene, and you don't want to miss it. Try to get her to sleep on the other side if possible or even on her stomach if you can do it safely (like, for supervised naps.) Take her out of the car seat if she falls asleep in the car.

Here's a trick - look at her face in a mirror to look for asymmetry. You don't notice it looking straight at them, but sometimes it shows in the mirror. (Hopefully your child's isn't as advanced as mine was, but if I had known that information earlier, it would have been helpful in his case.)

Hi!
Looks like you already got a lot of advise. My oldest son had Torticollis so I have a little experience. One additional thing to do that I didn't see here yet is to rotate which end of the crib you put her down to sleep at. I think flat spots are pretty common since most babies hate being on their tummy's! Just call your dr's office to make sure! Good Luck!

It sounds like it could be the condition know as plagiocephaly (flat head). My son was diagnosed with this condition at about 9 months only because I really questioned it to his doctor. I always thought his head looked flat in the back but he was my firt child and I didn't know that that wasn't normal, I figured it would just round out on it's own. I only realized that it could be plagiocephaly when I read about it in a parenting magazine. It's important to do a lot of tummy time and re-positioning of the head while the child sleeps. The condition, depending on the severity of it can indeed improve on it's one especially once the child starts turning more in their sleep. I would suggest massaging the scalp often and doing the tummy time and you should see an improvement. The specialist I took my son to suggested doing the helmet but the child has to wear it 23 hours a day for months and me husband I just couldn't justity doint this procedure, it seemed cruely. In our opinion it appeared to be more cosmetic than anything. Also the specialist and my sons pediatrician couldn't say what would happen if we chose to do nothing. There is no medical studies to prove one way or another that if left untreated it will cause some other type of medical condition. My son is now almost three and you'd never know he even has plagiocephaly. His hair covers it nicely and he is only a little flat still on one side of his head. My thought was who's head is perfect anyway. I feel confident that we made the right chose of not doing the helmet treatment. Best of luck to you!

I can offer a product for the cradle cap - Arbonne ABC Hair and Body Wash - to take away the cradle cap/ezecema right away. In fact my 13 year daughter uses it and got rid of a painful, flakey scalp as well.

In regards to the head...I had a friend who went through something with her son. I will send her your blog and see if it is similar.

M. D

Hi,
V. I have some experience with this. My son is now 11m but was born 10 lbs. 1 oz. Big kid! He had/has torticollis which is weakening of the neck muscles. Caught it around the 4th month and have been in PT ever since. Basically the flatness or asymmetrical head shape can be a direct result from it. Does your daughter have a hard time keeping head in midline? Does she lean to one side or favor a side? This can be a sign. This may not be what your daughter has but this is exactly what happened to Connor. The concern can be corrected with therapy very easily. Flatness can occur from sleeping on the back (which is recommended) or lack of tummy time. I hope this helps you! I will check back in and write more a bit later!
J.

Hi V.,

Most of the time the flat spot is from laying on their back all the time. When the baby is awake, keep her off her back. Do lots of tummy time, even if she hates it she'll get used to it.