I wanted to know if any of you have dealt with a flat headed baby. I recently noticed that my son's head was getting a little flat and almost going in an upward shape, not like a cone but getting there. I am back to work and my husband is on paternity leave so I had him take him to the doctor this past Friday and apparently it was more serious than we thought. Not only is he developing the flat spot in the back but he also favors his right side and the doctor noticed that his right ear and right jaw are moving forward while the left is moving back. She is referring us to a specialist that will hopefully call us Monday but in the meantime we have purchased a bumbo, I have an infant neck support coming in the mail and I also have a noggin nest coming. For now when he is in his swing I have been placing a rolled up blanket behind his head. I also taped it in 4 spots to ensure it doesn't come apart. Right now he is napping in his crib and I have placed the blanket under his right side so his head is turned to the left. Here is the question, he has been asleep for about 2 hrs now and I am scared that I am going to overcorrect the problem and flatten the left side of his head, but if his right side is the issue, shouldn't I keep him off of his right side????? Also any first hand advice would be appreciated. He already has club foot and is in his braces and I just don't want him to go through anything else. However I know that we are blessed because despite these issues he is a mentally and physically healthy boy. thanks!!
I too had a flat headed baby. Her pediatrician referred us to get her a helmet. It was no big deal. If your pediatrician isn't familiar with the shaping helmets (which also work to realign ears, jaws etc...) here is the website of the company that started it all and that my daughter went through... http://www.cranialtech.com/
For a flat head it isn't that bad to correct it, after I had my twins both had to physical therapy for the tight neck muscles (was told completely normal for multiples) and the older of the 2 had to get a specially formed and fitted helmet that helped reshape her head and she wore it all day everyday for a month and a half and now she is going to be 6 and you can't tell she had a flat head.
The bumbos are great - I use to sit my daughter's in them and then put the floor play mat w/ the mobile ( I can't remember what they are called!!!) the kids usually lay on them on their backs and the thingys hang down over them..... anyway I would sit them in FRONT of that in the Bumbo and they would spend a ton of time playing w/ the hanging part of that toy. Make sure you don't put him on the counter in the Bumbo.... they had issues w/ that a few years ago - kids were getting hurt.
I would keep him on his left side... I don't think it will hurt him in the short time between now and your next few appointments w/ the Dr. good luck.
It sounds like he has a condition called positional plagiosephaly (sp). It is relatively easy to correct I believe. They will probably fit him with a special helmet that he will have to wear to help reshape his head. My daughter suffered a more serious form where her soft spot actually grew closed and caused her head to be mishaps ed and she had to have surgery for it but where your son's is just flat on one side he should only have to wear a helmet to correct it. There are support websites for parents with plagioclase babies, just do search online. There is Cranio Kids and CAPPS that I personally am a part of. Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions and I can try and answer them.
my oldest son had that when he was born it will pass. it is due to his soft spot and I think he was about 3 or 4 months before it went away
I would continue to talk to the doctor you saw. One of my friends had a son who had to wear a helmet for a time as an infant but now his head is fine. You caught it earlier than some folks so go ahead with the treatment and his head should smooth out.
My DD would not like tummy time unless we were right there so something I did was lay her across my leg so she could be near and also be a little more upright than she was on her own. She seemed to like it better.
