Flat headed baby...?

[pickleparademairead]

I'm convinced my 4-month old has a flat head. She sleeps on her back but leans to her left, so the left side of the back of her head is really quite flat. My older one never had this problem and has a perfectly spherical noggin.

Will this flatness go over time? She looks like the 'before' pic in ads for baby pillows. Any parents with babies with a similar problem??

physiotherspy advice here

I'll try the tummy to tummy thing, because she is NOT a fan of standard tummy time (but who is?)

DD roared if we tried tummy time but because I was conscious with DS I fed him almost always that way once he was big enough. And he fed a lot.

My twins both had this (torticollis is more common in twins because of lack of space in the womb). We bought Mimos pillows and they definitely helped, but as much as they claim they're safe, I still only felt comfortable using them while my DDs were still immobile. They're 13 months now and their heads are still noticeably mis-shapen if you feel them, but it's not too noticeable now they have a good amount of hair.

My youngest had this - positional plagiocephaly - picked up on a paediatric check up (might have been the six week check?). Health visitor said it was much more common after the back to sleep campaign.

We had a referral to an NHS physio who recommended using a beanbag to support DC’s head to prevent them lying on the flat spot, and a Bumbo seat to help with sitting upright when DC was old enough.

Discussed the use of a helmet but the physio (head paediatric physio at a large city hospital) wasn’t convinced that they made a sufficient difference compared to physio to offset both the cost (not available on the NHS) and the extended wear involved.

DC is now a teenager, and whilst their head is still slightly flat it isn’t particularly noticeable and it doesn’t bother them at all.

My mum says I had this when I was a baby, and I still have a flat head today. Helmets don't fit me properly and fabric hairbands stick out at the back! So I'm keen for DD to avoid this fate 😓

I'm really in two minds about the pillow. DD is 4 months and writhes a bit at night - head and body tossing a bit. No turning though.

If you have an ergonomic sling then using it frequently gives lots of the same benefits as tummy time and is often a more enjoyable experience for both of you.

@EmilySpinach really! We have ergobaby360 and I've started using it a lot more after realising the flat head problem. I hadn't realised it required any strength from DD, but I suppose she might be having to steady herself inside the sling?

Yes! Really good for her abdominal and neck strength.

Slightly sceptical that the source I've managed to find is Ergobaby, but I'll take it!

I was worried about the pillow too. I placed it under the top fitted sheet so it wasn't loose in the cot, if that makes sense? Noticeable improvement in his sleep/comfort.

I mean, the company claims it doesn't pose a SIDS risk, but you don't want to take any risks at all with your baby. We are still using a Snuzpod and don't have a fitted sheet for it, so the pillow would have to go directly under her head I think?

Fair enough about the osteo. I’m not usually an alt med fan either, but this one was recommended and has definitely improved things - and NHS physio not an option for us. It’s very gentle, as far as I can see.

I would recommend the Mimos with a few provisos. They come in different sizes and it’s important not to go too big as it won’t cradle the head properly. So it’s possible your DD will grow out of it, and at that point it’s less likely to stay put during sleep, particularly if she’s trying to roll over or whatever. That wouldn’t worry me too much - it’s pretty porous and even when DS was thrashing about and making a concerted effort to get his head off it, it never ended up on his face. Might feel differently if he was in his own room though.

I used it in pram, on playmat etc. Have less need of it now as he’s not so inclined to put his head on one side.

I got this book and found it really insightful. My DD preferred one side, she was stiff on one side due to TT and that's how it started out. Her flat spot is less bad, she is four months now. I don't think hers is very severe, we did see a cranial osteopath who said it was very mild and noticing it early on is very advantageous in terms of you learn of the things you can do.

@pickleparademairead

Slightly sceptical that the source I've managed to find is Ergobaby, but I'll take it!

Yes, they are hardly disinterested!

I can’t offer you any proper evidence beyond a personal anecdote: DS has hyper mobility and when he first started seeing a physio she complimented his excellent core strength and asked if we had done a lot of tummy time. We had done almost none on the floor but he had been carried in a sling almost daily from about 3 days old.

Regardless, a well-fitting ergonomic sling certainly won’t do any harm!