DD nearly 5 months, slightly flat head on one side - too late to correct it now?

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So DD2 will be 5 months next week, since about the 4 month mark I've noticed her head is flatter on one side (the one that she favours in the cot). It took a while to notice cos she's got a lot of hair and it's only feeling her head that I became aware of it. Anyway, since then I've always tried to turn her head to face in the other direction once she's asleep but is it now too late to do anything about it? Is she now stuck with a slightly wonky head due to me being a bit dozy and not noticing she was favouring one side ?

Have now heard about these foam pillow things they can sleep on that prevent pressure on the side they sleep on but does anyone know:
a) whether they are safe (babies not meant to have pillows etc
b) whether they work
c) whether it's too late for any of that?

Thanks, all

Anyone?

There's plenty you can do at 5 months to help correct the shape.

A goi goi pillow in the pushchair helps relieve some pressure but i wouldn't use it in the cot for sleeping. We used a sleepcurve mattress in the cot.

In the car seat you can put a rolled up tea towel behind her neck so there's not so much pressure on her head.

If she's not yet sitting unaided get a bumbo seat so she's not always lying on the floor

Basically try and keep her off the back of her head as much as poss. Maybe get a sling

There is helmet treatment if things don't improve.

Plagiouk is an excellent website for support and advice.

Hope this helps

Just re read and noticed it's only mild flattening in which case it should improve quite well with these techniques and time and helmet treatment is probably not something you need to be too concerned with.

That's really helpful ConnorTraceptive - thanks. I have heard about the helmet treatment but it just sounded a bit drastic so I just wanted to know whether at this point nothing else will make a difference so your post answered that!

My 5mo dd has a flat head on one side. Its because she only sleeps on one side. I take her to a cranial osteopath and I have been referred to the hospital.

The paed at the hospital thinks she has Rickets! She is on vitamin drops and I have to take her back in a few weeks.

I have a photo of her head on my profile.

If you are that worried see your GP and go from there.

Thanks mama - might make an appt just in case. In the meantime have ordered one of those goigoi pillows.

Have just visited that plagio uk website and realised that I only ever feed DD on one side so it's basically my fault that she's developed a preference for that side

mama2moo Can I ask about your DD's Rickets, is that not really unusual? How did the paed diagnose it?

Sorry for hijack

Ooh yes would second a visit to the osteopath too.

I took DS to a cranial osteopath when he was about 4 months old, all fixed very quickly and everything evened itself out.

Fleegle He took one look at her and said he thought she has it as its making a come back. Im not convinced at all that she has it but will go along with it until my next appointment. I will see what he says next time and will see my GP if Im not happy. He didnt even measure the difference in her head shape

I take dd to a cranial osteopath but Im not convinced that is doing anything anymore. The CO wants dd to go every 3 weeks (this is after telling me that 3/4 visits will do) She has been over 10 times now and its costing me a fortune.

Thanks all - to be honest, I've always been a bit sceptical about cranial osteopaths. Don't know why so it's very unfair of me really. So thanks for the advice all - will now find a local one and give it a go.

mama2moo
Thanks for that- Will be interesting to see what paed says next...

Re the CO, is it worth telling her that you just can't afford it any more? You must have spent a couple of hundred already. Some osteopaths will give a discount if you ask them.

fleegle I am going again on Friday to the CO so will see what she says. If she says 3 weeks again I will say no. TBH I dont think there is much need for her to go now. She can freely turn her head to the side that was the problem. Thanks for the advice though, I will see if she will offer a discount.