My 6.5 month old son was diagnosed with Positional Plagiocephaly...he has some flattening at the back / top of his head. The Craniofacial specialist told us that not only is this caused by pressure to the back of the head, but also due to time spent in bouncy seats, car seats, etc which can also cause some missed developmental milestones. He prescribed some physical therapy for us. The therapy will show us different 'tummy time' techniques (playing and holding him) to help strengthen muscles in the neck / back. These muscles help 'pop' the head out and will increase the speed which he starts to sit-up more and crawl, which will keep him off his head. I was wondering if any other parents had a similar situation and if this therapy helped.
Hi K.,
I just read your post and was wondering how things turned out for your son's Plagiocephaly. My 5 month old daughter has a flattened head and she will begin wearing the Doc Band in 2 weeks.
Any info would be helpful!
D.
I would check with your pediatrician and Physical therapist FIRST if it's ok to take her to a chiropractor. I don't suggest you taking her directly to a chiropractor unless you get their consent.
physical therapy definitely helps!!! but only if you do it. My daughter had torticollis and plagiocephaly and we did therapy with her consistently and she didn't need the helmet or anything. Our therapist told us the best thing we did for her is not carry her around in a car seat. Get a sling and carry your baby as much as possible. You will have a better sense of their well being, and they are much more stimulated because they are on eye level with all other people, they will look around more, using their neck and trunk muscles. Tummy time is VERY important, use a Boppy at first. If you need a therapist, I recommend North Shore Pediatric Therapy www.NSPT4kids.com Our therapist's name is Shannon Tully. Our daughter is 13 months now and has made all of her milestones and looks perfectly normal now. But we did have to be intentional and consistent with the therapy. IT WORKS!
Our daughter Lilly was diagnosed with torticollis at 3 months old. She had a slight head flattening from this as well. We've been working with a PT weekly and have been sticking to our exercises religiously. She is definitely strengthening her neck and back, which is great for general motor development as well as keeping her off of her head so that her flattening has not gotten worse. The PT doesn't think Lilly will need a helmut. We were also told to quit using the bouncy seat, swing and car seat (outside the car). Although this has completely changed our daily routines, Lilly is making great progress, so it's worth it.
Hi there- just wanted to let you know that I am a Chiropractor and just went through this with my niece. I would recommend that you work with a certified Cranial- Sacral therapist and also get the book: BABY BEAUTIFUL: A HANDBOOK OF BABY HEAD SHAPING - Author Justine Dobson. My neice's head shape improved dramatically by working with a Chiropractor who also is certified in Cranial Sacral. Please e-mail me if you would like help finding one. my e-mail is: ____@____.com
My son had this, not because of how he slept but because of his position in the womb. It wasn't caught early enough to help him - We asked our pediatrician as early as his second well-baby appointment, but they kept telling us it was all our imagination. I don't think doctors were as aware as they are now. He has permanent facial asymmetry as a result. He's very cute, but it is noticeable if you know what to look for. It also will mean orthodonture for him later on. You're very lucky to have caught it early and to be getting good expert advice!
I would add, take it seriously and if the tummy time alone doesn't help (our son had tummy time, sat early, and didn't spend much time in a car seat - made no difference) look into some of the other things - bands and helmets, I guess - they have now. But you have to get those things while they are still babies.
