My Baby Has a Flat Head!

Hi A.,

I have a three month old baby & she has a flat head. She likes to sleep on her right side more than her left. I try the neck and head exercise, spend more time on tummy time, & encourage her to look/lay on her left side. I can see her flat side is getting little bit rounder. So don't be discourage & keep doing what the peds. tell you to do.

Wow! I know just how you feel and I have GREAT tips for you! I have twin girls who had such flat heads. I was so upset that this would not fix itself (their ears were misaligned because of this too) that I attempted to have the girls fitted for "cranial remolding helmets." They hated these...the pressure on their heads was too much and we weren't seeing results after 2 mo.
We also tried the sleep positioners, tummy-time, bumbos, etc to keep them off their heads. Without much change the peds doc referred us to a phys therapist who showed me stretches that helped a little, but didn't correct anything. Then we tried the helmets I mentioned.
I now have them going for infant craniosacral therapy (usual by a massage therapist, but can also be a chiropractor who specializes in applied kinesiology) and with a little plate manipulation their heads have improved so much in 3 weeks that even the chiro I take them to is impressed. The theory is that if the plates are fluid like they are supposed to be as the brain grows (really fast as infants) then the natural growth will round out the head. So true! I feel bad I tried the helmets and sorry that I waited until 5 1/2 mo to try this cranial manipulation. Good Luck! With a little work and the right people you will never know that your little one had trouble with a flat head.

Hi A.~
Def. mention it to the doc so they can keep an eye on it. Sometimes, though, babies get flat heads, especially if they are good sleepers. I think you are doing exactly what the drs would tell you to do, so keep it up. At the next checkup, tell the doc that you are concerned, that way you can relax a little and let them monitor it. Good luck!
~L.

My now 2 year old daughter started to get a flat spot on the left side of her head at about 5 months. She's a thumb sucker and turned to the left to get her left thumb in her mouth while she was sleeping. My peds told me to start laying her on her right side and prop her up with a rolled up blanket. It worked well. By 8 months her head was fine. You just have to remember that the skull is soft and can easily go flat if you're not diligent about putting the baby in different positions. You could even get one of those position things they sell at babies-r-us, that way he can't wiggle off his side. I'm not sure of the actual name but they are usually to tube like things attached together with a piece of cloth that the baby is on. Difinately talk to your doctor about it. He or she might have other suggestions to help avoid the helmet that so many kids are having to wear these days. Good Luck!

Plagiocephaly is the proper term for this. You can do an internet search to find out more (otherwise this will be a novel). But from my experience (a friends child had this), depending on the severity he will likely require therapy or in other cases a molding cap/helmet to correct it. There is a lot more to it, but like I said, too much to post here. There is a lot of info online, but some of it is extreme. Don't let it scare you. Has your Dr. mentioned this at your well baby visits? Usually they will tell you when you need to be concerned about it... Best of luck. Hope you have a mild case that will self-remedy.

Here is a link to a recent post from a mom asking about the molding devices. She may be able to help you more since she is experiencing this first hand...

http://www.mamasource.com/request/recent/49684/1184591202/10