Help with Flat Spot

It’s great that you are taking notice and talking to your pediatrician about your concerns. The position of an infant’s head needs to be changed throughout the day so that they do not begin to favor a certain area of the head, which can ultimately lead to the development of a flat spot on the head and elongated neck muscles on one side. Since you are noticing a flat spot,, I would suggest the following ways to get your baby moving his head to the side he is not currently favoring. Try feeding him so that he must turn his head in the direction of the non-favored side. When approaching him, come from the side that requires him to turn his head to the side he isn’t favoring in order to see you. Place interesting and stimulating toys to the unflavored side, and put him on his tummy as much as possible. Finally, when your baby is calm and relaxed, try gently massaging the neck muscles to get him to stretch both sides equally. Physical therapy is another option to discuss with your pediatrician. Visit https://www.facebook.com/DrJaneScott for more information and to join the mission to end plagiocephaly.

Hi J.,
A good friend of mine went through something similar to this with her first son. In his case it was Plagio, and he was fitted with a helmet that he wore for about 6 months. He did very well accepting the helmet and it solved the problem completely. She went to Childrens Hospital in Boston for the fittings and checkups, Im pretty sure her pediatrition referred her there straight away. My friend felt awful and scared and worried about the helmet and all the questions it would bring from strangers, but it turned out to be a much easier experience--for both of them--than she thought it would be. In fact the most people who approached her in the grocery store were other moms saying, Oh my son or daughter went through the same thing.

Hello J.,
My guess is your pedi will want to see your child and maybe have you see early intervention. At 2 months my daughter was diagnosed with torticolis. Basically, the main muscle in her next was either stressed during birth or she was in a particular position to long in the womb. Early intervention showed us exercise to do with her everyday...she hated it. She also favored one side to sleep. Therefore we had to make sure she didn't sleep on that side so that she wouldn't get a flat spot. She 100% fine now.
I bet it's not as bad as you think. Good luck and keep switching her sleeping position.

One thing the dr had us do with our son was hold him on the other arm. I was used to just holding him on one side and that was the side that had a flat spot.

Hi J., I have twin boys who are now 16 months old. One of my sons experienced this. It is called plagiocephaly and it pretty common now that we put infants only on their backs to sleep. Keep trying to position her so she is not on the flat spot. In fact you can purchase positioners for this purpose. My son, even at 6 weeks old, would wiggle his way out from the positioners and sleep on his flat spot. We ended up in Boston and he needed to be fitted for a special helmet. He wore that for about 6 weeks and I happy to report he has a nice big round head now. Good luck and don't worry it is very fixable.

my now (fine!) 18 month old had the same thing, no matter how hard i tried she wanted to sleep on the left side i tried everything, her dr. kept saying its starting to get a little flat, try to position her different! I know I know! but she was a fiesty lil stinker even at a few weeks and she wanted what was comfy, do the best you can, if u see her that way, flip her. My baby was hard, so if it was 2 am and she was out and i had only 1 hr of sleep, i said screw it...her head is fine it rounded out over time, although there is the slightest difference (i mean, no one would ever tell unless told), its not the end of the world ive been assured, and, the hair covers it up.

Do you notice that she only looks to the left? is she able to move her head freely to the right? my son was born with torticollis (bent neck) and that went into flathead (very severe for him). 1st you do need to check with your Pedi, you will need to work on helping it not get worse (the side effects the forehead) ask your Pedi about all of your worries..ask about Tort and if the Pedi agrees get an evaluation with Early Intervention to get her Physical Therpy to help with her neck and head. (free!)

My son did get a helmet at 7 months and it was paid for by the ins co as his flathead was so severe..email me off line for more info ____@____.com