Please help...my Baby's Head Is Flattening!!!

Hi K.,
I know just the answer for you. www.cranialtech.com
or call 866 DOC-Band

They have been helping this sort of thing for 20 yrs.
The younger the child the easier it is to solve.

Please do not worry,the baby's head will be just fine,my baby is ok,her head had a flat spot in it too,baby's heads are still shaping and growing,you will not need a helmet i promise, don't worry about changing positions too much,let the baby sleep

hope this helps

D.

I have always heard that you are suppose to rotate the ways that he lays so that his head won't flatten. So just try different positions and see if that fixes it.

This happened with my son. I simply started turning him around in his crib (he always looked away from the wall, so I put his head at the opposite end). I left him on the opposite side a couple days til both sides matched better, then started switching him every time a put him down for a nap or bed time. We used a sleep positioner to prop him on one side, then the other, etc. His little head evened out quickly. After that I was mindful of how I laid him down to sleep.

I second the advice about carrying him in a sling during the day. It's great for balance, neck control, and keeps him up where you are so you can talk and interact while you're folding laundry or dusting or going for a walk. And there's no pressure spot so no flat spots. www.hotslings.com or there are tons of kinds online.

Hello K.,
In my family we have a tradition of shaping the head. People have always asked how our babies have such round heads. When we are holding them or after feeding them we always craddle their heads in our hands and start rubbing gently around and around as often as we can get the opportunity. A baby's head is soft and plyable for the first few months after birth and that is the time to shape their head. That is why your baby's head is flattening on one side, it just need shaping. I hope I have explained it enough for you to understand it. We have been doing this in my family for years. There are 10 children in my family and there are 18 grandchildren for my mother. All of our heads have been shaped from birth.

Hi K.,
There was a similar posting a few weeks ago and here was my response....I experienced the same thing and this worked for me. Good luck!
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I just went through this exact same thing in that my 18 week old son heavily favored looking to the right as well. Because he favored the right side so much, his skull began to develop disproportionately and my pedi said exactly the same thing about the helmet. I was able to 100% correct it within three weeks by laying him on the opposite side to sleep (he sleeps on his side), holding him the opposite way when I bottle fed him, only approaching him from the left, laying all his toys on the opposite side, etc. I truly believe that by placing him on his opposite side while he slept caused his skull to balance out and he got 100% cleared from the pedi just today at his 4 month check up. It took a lot of awareness on the part of my husband and I, as well as his teachers at his daycare and our in-laws, but by totally changing the way we held him, the way we laid him down to sleep, doing his neck exercises, etc. we were able to correct it. My pedi said that a baby favoring one side is totally normal, but we have to do what we can to encourage him/her to use both sides of the neck.
I know this can be really alarming (imagining your poor little one in a helmet!), but it can be corrected naturally with patience and awareness. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any additional questions.
As for tummy time, an alternative I found for my little one is that it does count if the baby is laying on his tummy actually ON your tummy. So if he doesn't like laying on the ground, lay on your back and lay his tummy on yours. Its great for one-on-one contact and it will encourage him to look up at your face when you talk to him.

You have gotten lots of good responses. I just wanted you to know that my first son had a flat area on his head and a helmet was recommended, but - we were told - not completely necessary. My ds was also in the NICU but for four weeks. I don't know if that makes a difference or not, like maybe their heads are softer longer??
We just repositioned ds on the other side during naps, like you said. Try to keep him out of swings and bouncy seats, like others said, use a sling or carrier. My ds head turned out just fine. Your son is young enough that I would think it should take care of itself, but I am not a doctor. :)
Good luck!
L.

Hello K.,

I had noticed that my 2nd child's head was flattening when she was 2 months old. We did end up putting her in a helmet when she was 4 months old because they kept "watching" it. Her head was off the charts in size (big) and she was 9 lbs when she was born. The doctor said more than likely she had pulled a muscle in child birth so the muscle did not stretch back out properly after she was born since she was too little to lift and exercise her head. I started doing stretching and exercising her neck muscles (the doctor can show you how). I did these every time I changed her diaper or at least 5 times a day. I also could not put her down on her head during the day but to sleep at night in a positioner changing her position even in the middle of the night. I was so overwhelmed and then I also felt guilty thinking I had done something wrong to her when she was just a baby. She was a very good sleeper from the first day I brought her home so the doctor told me to just let her sleep through the night if she wanted to so I did not have to get up and nurse her as I did with the first baby. The doctor said since she was such a big baby that she was getting enough calories during the day so that she was satisfied throughout the night. I felt like that if I had gotten her up for feedings at night that she would have moved more and not gotten her head flattened. Anyway now I believe that it was false guilt. We took her to a doctor supposedly the "best" in Fort Worth who deals with lots of cranial problems in the state and he told us the helmet was a bunch of "crap". I didn't know what to do. I then took her to the helmet place and told them what the doctor said and of course she disagreed. She said that something as simple as getting cheap sunglasses when your child is older can be a pain because their ears are not lining up properly. Even though it is not noticeable to look at with all the hair covering, things like that can be a problem. They will have to get specialty made glasses which can cost a bundle. I was unable to use swings, car seats (only to ride in the car of course), baby bouncer seat, so I had a 2 month old that I was to carry everywhere because I could only lay her down to sleep. By the way, I also had a very active 3 year old that I was dealing with. I came up with all kinds of ways to entertain her. I carried her in her sling, put her upright in small clothes baskets with pillows,,,,,they did not have the bumbo chairs back then, just anyway to keep her off her head in anyway. I even had to hold her in different positions when she nursed. So what do you do when the "best" doctor in Fort Worth says it is a bunch of "crap" to put a baby in a helmet, but the specialists in the cranial dept. is saying to do it. You pray. You ask God for wisdom. That's what I did. We put her in a helmet and guess what? Insurance paid for everything! God is good and now she is a vibrant, beautiful, smart 4 year old with a beautiful head : ) She looked absolutely adorable in her little helmet and she was a trooper for about 4 months while she wore it. She slept good, it just didn't affect her at all with play, sitting up, as a matter of fact she was walking at 11 months old. I think she was just so strong from not getting to lay around so much.

Sorry this is sooooo long but when it comes to our kids, it gets more personal than anything. I know what you are going through so just give it to God and he will direct you to do what is best. This was actually therapeutical to write because there are still some days that I feel guilty that I had done something wrong. It isn't true. We just want to do what is best for the most precious things in the world.

Write me if you have any more questions.
Best to you and your baby!
M.

I highly reccommend Dr. Robin Shepperd, my chiropractor. ###-###-####. SHe has worked on my whole family for more than 15 years-- all my births and 4 children now aged 15-7. My son as an infant could not hold his head center when laying on his back, it always went to one side. She just cheked his spine and cranial alignment with her hands and massaged it into place and I think used an activator, a small little pusher that is absolutely painless. In a few minutes he was able to look stragiht center and did not return to sideways head. After each birth we always adjusted the infants from the birth trauma with her. She is loving and gentle. R.

Hello,
When my son was 4months old, we noticed the same thing. Then we noticed that he was not turning to his left. We mentioned it to our pediatrician, and he was diagnosed with a mild case of torticollis. Torticollis is a condition that the neck muscles are more constricted on one side. My advice is to observe your daughter, is she turning her head equally to both sides? It is a difficult thing to catch, but you will notice if she can't turn her head all the way.Also, does it look like her neck is straining? Talk to your pediatrician about it if it concerns you.

The same thing happened to my son. You can get a FREE evaluation at Cranial Technologies and they will measure how "flat" it is compared to average and give you ideas how to try to fix it before moving to something as drastic as the helmet. It is no obligation, so I highly suggest you go there. www.cranialtech.com I did end up using a helmet with my son. Insurance may pay for it too, so don't necessarily worry about cost. For now, give him as much tummy time as you can handle. Use a sleep positioner to keep him off of the flat side and make sure you stretch his neck muscles to make sure it isn't tort (tightness in the neck) causing him to turn to the one side all the time. Again, cranial tech can help you with those stretches.

A friend of mine had the same problem happen with her son, and it was bad enough that he required 6 weeks in the helmet to correct it. Hopefully you have caught it soon enough, but I wanted you to know why it happened, in case your situation is similar. Apparently her baby had a tight neck muscle as a result of some spinal misalignment that happened during childbirth. She took her son in for an adjustment by a chiropractor that handles pregnant women and babies, and he no longer favors any side. Now he looks all around and his head has come back to it's proper shape.
Hope this helps!
M.

I just went to my son's 4 month check and he has the same problem except on the other side. My pediatrician said to position his head to the other side in the swing, car seat and when asleep by putting a wash cloth or hand towel (rolled up) underneath his shoulder of the side opposite he is to face. My son needs to lay on his left side so it goes under his right shoulder. Then also do tummy time at least 4-5 times per day for 5 minutes to strengthen his neck muscles. He will recheck it at 6 months for improvement and determine if he needs a helmet. I always put him down on his back just shifting his head. I will pray for your son and also feel free to email me if you have questions.

M.
____@____.com

Buy a sling and WEAR your baby instead of putting him on the floor all the time.

You should definitely speak with your pediatrician about this. He/she will be able to determine the best course of action. I know the best way to prevent this from getting worse is it to give your son as much tummy time as possible.

My son is 5 and he has a semi-noticable flat spot on the back of his head, but my pediatrician never mentioned anything about. For him it is really just a cosmetic issue but it should have been addressed when it was still possible to do something about it. Luckily he does not have a noticable corresponding bump on his forehead but in severe cases that is what can happen, because the whole side of the head shifts. I know this sound scary but again just talk to your doctor about it, generally they try repositioning techniques first to correct it.

Hope this helps.

I also noticed flattening when my baby was about 4 months old. It turned out she had mild torticollis.
We had her sleep on her side and her doctor gave us stretches to do with her. We also tried to give her as much tummy time as possible and limited her time in her bouncer and swing to maybe 20 minutes a day. Within a couple months her head had improved quite a bit. Once my baby got more mobile things improved dramatically. I found a lot of good info at this site http://www.plagiocephaly.info/
All the best!

I think a little more tummy time during the day would be better too. If your son is like mine, he will scream for a while, but start off with 5 minutes and work your way up. At 4 months, he needs to start more tummy time in preperation for crawling! He needs to work on his neck and arm muscles. A few soft toys about 4-5 inches from his face and you on your tummy too. If he falls asleep on his tummy while playing, that's okay too, just keep an eye on him. This will help balance out his nights on his back and side. My son had a BIG flat spot on his head too, and after all the tummy time, it just balanced itself out.
Just remember, nothing you do will make that flat spot go away over night, it will take time.

Hi. My daughter always slept on the same side of her head and it got flat. She had torticollis(I am not sure of the spelling). Basically, the muscle in her neck did not grow because she did not use it(in utero). I was told once she starts to pick up her head and sit up on her own it would fix itself(the torticollis), and we did lots of stretching of that muscle. And it did. However, her head is still very crooked. But you just cant tell!! One side is flat and the other is very rounded. But like I said, you cant tell! She is 4 now.

I am hoping this will help you feel a little better; my daughters head is flatter on one side in the back. My friend, who is a pediatrician told me it was fine. At 2 1/2 my daughter has no issues from this, and she is very smart. It is not noticeable since she has some hair now. Of course it will depend on the degree in which the flattening is occurring, but I am sure your doctor will let you know if there is anything to be concerned about.
~K.

My son's head did the same thing when he was a little guy. Our pediatrician had us buy the wedges (you can get them from babies'r us). What ever side is flattening, he needs to be on the opposite side. Our doctor had us put him on his side, not on his back. The wedges will help keep him in that position. We used the wedges until he could roll out of them and his head is perfectly normal now. Good luck!

Sadly, it's becoming more normal for babies to get flat heads from sleeping on the same side. Your idea to put him in different sleep positions is a good one. His head will eventually go back to the right shape on its own. You can also let him sleep upright such as in a swing or car seat. If he can lift his head well during tummy-time, you could also place him on his tummy to sleep. Just make sure he has good head control before you try this.

Good luck with everything!

We had a good friend whose baby had this and needed the helmet. Insurance took care of most of it, and the risks of not fixing it are great. It turned out her neck was weak and that's how the problem developed in the first place

I second the consult with Cranial Tech. My 2nd child needed a DOC band for a few months. His problem was diagnosed too late to do the repositioning so I don't have any pointers on that. His head looks wonderful now and we are so glad we self-paid to have it done. When my 3rd child was born, we took her for a consult when she was a few months old just to check everything out. She had an unusual (but symetrical) head shape due to her being breech for a while, but they said that she did not need a band. We always saw Jennifer and trust their opinion and didn't feel like they would recommend a DOC band unless truly needed. I think they even show you the proper exercises to do at home if needed. If you do go that route, they have different self-pay rates and payment plans. Good luck.

Go get the Boppy Noggin Nest. It is a WONDERFUL product. It is padded all around (nice support for back too) and has a hole cut out in the middle (where the head is). They will not get flat head with this. You can use it in the stroller, playpen, swing and simply in the bed for every day use. You can get it at Babies R Us, maybe Walmart, PBKids or goto the Boppy website. I used this for both of my daughters because I wanted to avoid "flat head". I would not worry yourself too much about it...just make sure you are watching it. My sister's daughter was getting the same thing. I sent her my Boppy and her little one is fine. Just remember, their heads are pretty flexible right now so if you catch it early, she will be okay. Good luck.

Continue repositioning and keeping him off his flat side. Rotate him in his bed, changing table, and which side you hold him on so he is forced to look opposite the flat side to look at you.

Your doctor will probably recommend an eval with ECI. You can actually request this now (you don't need a doc referral). They can tell you whether or not he needs physical therapy.

My daughter had physical therapy and wore a helmet. I too thought it was the worst thing in the world but it was not, I promise!

Feel free to contact me with any questions at all. Been there, done that and glad to help!

C.

I will make it short and sweet. I changed the position of my babies every time I put them in the bed. One night, right side, next night left side, then back. I used positioning cushions that stick. I made sure they couldn't move, and every time they went down for a nap I did the same thing. Because the night time is such a longer sleep that is where I made sure to change nightly. Good luck.

We had this problem with our little guy too. The problem was in his neck muscles initially. They get comfy in the womb in one position and when they come out, they still enjoy that position-and the neck muscles are less flexible on that side which makes the problem worse. Our pediatrician told us to put big, uncomfortable items against his head while he slept to keep him from laying in that same position all the time(like phone books!!). I felt awful doing it, but tried it anyway. In the end, he moved too much and it didn't work. We ended up having to get a helmet (it wasn't that bad) and our insurance covered the entire thing....we didn't pay a dime. We went to the STAR clinic in Dallas and they were great. He was only in it for 5 mths or so and his head shape is not perfect, but much better. You may also look in to physical therapy (after you see your pediatrician) because they can do or show you how to stretch those muscles so he is comfortable in all positions. Hope this helps...good luck.

W.

How much tummy time are you doing? Make sure he's getting enough of this. Also, slings and other carriers are great during the day to take the pressure off.

I recommend visiting the plagiocephaly support group on yahoo. They have some good files and links on repositioning. I have twin sons that are in helmets for similar reasons. Plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly are their diagnoses. One also has torticollis and we are doing physical therapy. You would be surprised how affordable they can be when insurance gets involved. Also, I remember the worry and sadness I felt before we got the ball rolling and I got some real answers to my questions. Our pediatrician kept telling us it would round out on it's own, and this is what caused their treatment to be delayed. That is my only regret, that I let her put us off for so long despite my concerns from very early on. The earlier it is treated the less time it takes for correction. My boys have not been affected in the slightest by having the DOC bands, and it only took a little while for me to get used to the daily regimens as a part of our routine. I also have a 4 1/2 year old at home, and trust me, the helmets are the least of my worries at this point. Cranial Technologies does free evals on babies to determine the necessity and severity. Repositioning is also a good option, but for us it was not as effective since the boys were past the 4 mo mark. They were banded at 7 1/2 mos and should be out well before their first birthday. The support group has been so helpful and informative throughout our journey. Good luck to you and if you have any questions or just wanna chat you can email me at any time. Good luck to you and your family.

S.
Katy, TX

I am a 42 year old mom of two boys 21 and 17. I have run my in-home daycare for 21 years and have raised more kids then I can count..... this is a growing problem since the SIDs scare and new moms are placing their babies on their back. It will not correct itself. The best solution is to get a wedge pillow and lay your baby on his side to sleep. He will not choke or stop breathing from this - there is pleanty of airflow. Place him on the opposite side of the flat head and let him lay that way all the time.- Until his head reshapes itself. It has taken 4 mos to flatten and will take time to reshape. Then you can start placing him on his right side during one sleep time and the left side the next. You dont need to wake him to change him. Placing him on his back to sleep will also flatten his head. This puts pressure on his brain and he will need a helmet. These helmets are horrible and you don't want that at all !! I've had children in my daycare that have come with these and they smell and are uncomfortable - you truely don't want a helmet. unfortunately the doctors these days don't tell you about the dangers of laying your child on his back and they need too! trust me, this will NOT fix itself! My sister laid her son on his back and he is 21 and still has a flat head !

Don't worry, this happens to alot of babies, not uncommon at all. Repositioning him will be very helpful. Remember a babies skull is still forming. PLease still see your pediatrician.

an old mom of 3, (2 teens, 1(6yr old)

Its normal, dont worry. I freaked out too with my oldest and the pedi told me that it was because their heads are still "soft" like the bones havent "hardened" yet, so if they lay on one side rather it be back, right, or left more than any of the others, it will get the "flat" look. Just lay his head in diff positions but his head wont be permantly like that, my kids arent, my oldest was the right side he is now 3 1/2 yo all is fine, my baby is 16 1/2 mo his was his back and he is fine too.

Hi, K.. My son Matthew also had plagio and wore a helmet. I believe those that do repositioning do it every few hours. There are two yahoo groups on the plagio subject and there are quite a few members that have done repositioning, so I am sure that they could help you. The other thing you need to look for is torticollis. If you son has this that can cause the flatting. Does your son appear to favor one side or the other or have a tilt? This is another question for the pediatrician when you see them. I do want to warn you that there are some pediatricians that don't agree with helmets. Ours was that way, but we ending up having a specialist recommend the helmet for us and it was the best decision we made. Good luck!

K.,
Just a word of caution. If the flattening doesn't correct itself or you believe it is becoming worse I want to let you know about a rare condition that is more prevalent in east TX. It is called craniosagital stenosis. There are Drs at Tx Children's who specialize in this.
I am sure that he is fine and will not need this but having to learn this info on your own is difficult. I know. God Bless.

If you just noticed it, things will probably be fine. I would talk to your doctor about it at his 4 month visit. My daughter also had some flattening to her head, but in most cases it resolves itself once they're sitting up on their own. I know in my daughter's case part of the issue was how much she was in her swing...she would sleep in it at night to help with her spit up when she was really young and her head would cock to one side. At her 2 month visit her pediatrician wanted us to do some physical therapy exercises to help stretch and strengthen her neck muscles in case it was torticollis (spelling?). She's 7 months now and looks great. You may ask your doctor about torticollis if he cocks his head to one side more often than another or if his neck muscles seem tight. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

M.

Try carrying the baby all the time that he is not asleep in bed. That means taking him out of the carseat any time you aren't driving, not leaving him in a bouncy seat, etc. Get a sling or a baby bjorn-stye carrier. It's challenging, yes. hard to get anything done, yes. but it's best for baby. good luck.

Hi,

Sounds like he is laying on one side more than the other. Try rotating him from side to side while he is sleeping. I have three grown children and all at one time or another had this happen and this advice came from my pedi-doctor. Good luck!

K.,
Try putting your baby on his stomach or in a swing. He's at an age where everything is of interest. Place obejects where he can reach for them and possibly interact. It's normal for some babies head to flatten some what. Sitting your baby up will help eleviate the problem along with turning him frequently. Don't leave him in one posission all day and do encourage him to play and interact with you and toys. His head should begin to reshape correctly, if not, call your pediatrician. He's at a time demanding age, but a very fun age as well. Congradulations and have fun with your bundle of joy.

We went through this with my daughter when she was an infant. She is now nearly 8 years old and I am happy to tell you that her head is perfectly lovely. We caught it early enough that the doctor just had us lay her on the opposite side more frequently and then later we tried to keep it even. If he lays on the floor watching you or the T.V. or anything make sure he is laying down in a position that will have his right cheek on the floor rather than the flatter side. I do know that some babies need to wear helmets to correct the issue. No one would want to do this, but in the end the baby gets used to it and will later have a symetrical head shape. No worries! It will all be fine. Good luck!
A. C Mother of 2

It does help if you rotate your baby's position. Since his left side is flattening, try lying him on his right side. I don't reccomend you lay him on his back as babies this small could still spit up and it could be dangerous.

Good luck.

I recommend holding him more than he lies down. And, be sure he's getting supervised tummy time, too.
Try carrying him in a sling or some other kind of baby carrier instead of putting him down.

You are definitely right to not leave him on the flattened side for too long at one time. However, make sure that your child is still getting floor time as this is VERY important for his development. Especially make sure that he is getting tummy time. Place toys that he is interested in to the side that forces him to not lie on the flattened spot when he is lying on the floor, in his crib, in his car set, changing table etc. Purchase crib toys that you can tie to the side of his crib so it encourages him to look all around versus just fixing on a mobile above him where he will likely lie with the same head position. Also, vary the positions that you hold him as mom's often just hold their baby one way. The above are just a few suggestions. I am sure that it will all work out since you caught it early and are obviously an observant mom!

Hi There K.,
I too suggest that you call Cranial Technologies and go in for a free consultation. Ask to meet with Alison! She is wonderful and a new mommy too. The earlier they diagnose the situation, the faster you can fix the flattening. Alison can teach you about repositioning and teach you the proper exercises, to help strengthen his neck. If he does have to have a DOC Band, don’t panic. It looks scarier than it is. My baby had two and it made a huge difference. She is 19 months old now and all is wonderful!
God bless,
T.

The same thing happened with my son . He had what is called tortilitis. The dr said to put things that he like to look at on the other side of him and we also did stretching exercises to help loosen his neck. We took him to see about a helmet and the dr said that it would fix itself and it has. He is 15 months old now and his head is perfect

I always hear that you're suposed to change direction that he/she sleeps in the crib. Also, if there are any lights that your baby is attracted to gazing, then you should change the direction from which he/she sees that light.