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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Flat head - anyone got experience of this?

19 replies

SebbysMum · 01/04/2008 19:38

My 15 week old baby has developed a flat head at the back, presumably from spending so much time on his back. I've heard it said that this will resolve itself over time but I also know some parents put their babies in expensive helmets to sort it out. I try my best to get him to spend time on his tummy during the day but at his age there is only so long he will tolerate it. I really don't like the idea of putting him in a helmet. Does anyone have experience of the flat head problem resolving itself over time (or not)?

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sparkleymummy · 01/04/2008 19:42

We asked to be referred to a consultant about this with ds2 after getting nowhere with the GP (we have BUPA so thought we might as well use it). Consultant said he was perfectly normal and flat head syndrome is very very common nowadays since babies sleep on their backs and their skulls are not yet fused. He said there is no evidence at all that the helmets help and that actually there is evidence that they can cause problems. He said it is necessary to check babies since sometimes the flatness could be evidence of a problem but that it is extremely rare.

DS2 is now cruising and spends hardly any time on his back. The flatness is still there but hopefully it will go eventually.

nickytwotimes · 01/04/2008 19:43

Yes, My ds had a vary flat head and it is now perfect.He's 20 mths, btw. The helmets have not been shown to have any benefit which is why they are not available among many health trusts. There are loads of threads about this I think. Have you done a search? Will have a trawl.

nickytwotimes · 01/04/2008 19:45

There's quite a few...!

tissy · 01/04/2008 19:48

Don't get the Dizzy Sofabed from JL! My Mum has one and it's really uncomfortable

tissy · 01/04/2008 19:49

how the heck did that happen? Wrong thread, sorry!

snooks · 01/04/2008 19:52

I've got 2 friends, both of them have had dcs with flat heads. One had the flatness at the back, the other had the flatness at the side (he used to sleep sort of on his side, facing the side of the cot). They are aged 3.6 and about 2.6 now respectively and I can't remember noticing any flatness in either of them for the last year, year and a half. My point is that this seems very common and that they do grow out of it, almost without you noticing (well, I didn't notice, but obv the parents did . HTH a bit.

Seona1973 · 01/04/2008 19:56

I used a goi goi pillow for ds when his head started to flatten. It prevented it getting worse and may have helped it to round out again too. At 18 months now you would never have known that it was flat at a few weeks old.

mangojuice · 01/04/2008 20:19

My ds's head began to flatten as a baby, and we went as far as having it measured by one of the clinics that do the helmets- they confirmed that it was within the range of measurements that they would treat for, but we decided against the helmet.

We bought a sleepcurve matress insert and used that at night, and also used a bumbo seat in the day rather than the bouncy chair.

Now at 17m his head is absolutely fine, you can feel a tiny bit of flatness if you rub your hand over the back of his head, but it is not visible otherwise.

I have heard it said that if you are bottle feeding it's worth alternating sides when you feed as you would when bf, to avoid flattening on the side of the head.

It is definitely worth tackling as I know one older children in particular with very pronounced flattening, and I'm not sure whether anything can be done once the child is older.

RUMPEL · 01/04/2008 20:20

My DD had this but it has evened out now - she is 18 months old. It was wuite apparent when she was younger though.

matildax · 01/04/2008 20:22

hello, my son developed a flat head at around 10 weeks, and i spent ages on the internet reading up on it, i personally think the helmets looked big and uncomfortable, and imo could hamper babies natural movement.
i came across sleepcurve.com, it is really interesting. they sell mattresses that help enormously, but they are quite pricey, so i managed to get one off ebay, and it was the best thing ever!!
he used it for a few months and not only did his flat head improve, and pretty much go, he slept really really well, as it helps with babies breathing aswell.
well worth a look. hope this helps.

GColdtimer · 01/04/2008 20:22

dd had it but it has evened out now. We used to alternate the ends of the cot we put her and moved toys to the other side of the pram so she wouldn't be looking in the same direction. It evened out by the time she was about a year.

Original poster

SebbysMum · 01/04/2008 20:59

Thanks everyone. I searched Mumsnet as suggested and have spent the last hour reading up on peoples experience. As usual very helpful tips despite no real consensus.

OP posts:

MoominMum · 01/04/2008 22:25

You've probably heard all of this then but FWIW:

place a folded blanket under the bottom sheet of his cot all down one side so that line runs under shoulder and hip and tilts him sideways;

make sure toys/ activities/ TV/ Mummy/ anything else that distracts him are to one side so he has to turn that way to look;

spend as much time as possible with him in an upright position - slings are good;

tummy-time is good, even if it's on your chest, so at a slight ramp - this can be easier while they build up their neck muscles - but give him as much flat time as he'll tolerate too.

Ours is 13 wks and has had flattened head on one side since birth so all of our advice (from paediatric physio) is geared to make him turn the other way, which is hard for him since his head has always wanted to roll to the one side - but I guess the advice could be adapted to cope with flattening at the back - just alternate the sides.

Hope this helps, and try not to worry, everyone has been totally reassuring that it will resolve itself with a little persuasion.

gagarin · 01/04/2008 22:33

Very common - should improve if you follow Moomin's advice.

Check this out too.

www.ich.ucl.ac.uk/factsheets/families/F040171/index.html

wobbegong · 01/04/2008 22:36

Hello, my DD has a very pronounced wonky skull (16 weeks). I spoke to the HV about it and she said not to worry, but all the tips suggested by Moominmum, particularly tummy time. I have also changed the changing mat direction so that she looks the other way when I am changing her. HV also recommended turning the head when DD has dropped off to sleep, oh dear, I am not sure that I can bear doing that and waking her up! HV said if I was really worried she would refer me to a paediatric physio but that they would probably have nothing more to add.

She did also pull DD's head around a bit to check that she could turn it to the other side if she wanted to.

ps. Sebbysmum when we meet in RL we can compare wonkiness!

ClaireBlair · 03/04/2008 00:17

My DS has a flat head and at 2.4 it is still noticeable (he has very fine hair). My paediatrician said the head shape they have when they are 2 is what they will have for life. I am hoping that when his hair thickens up it won't be noticeable as a couple of his wee friends are the same, but with thicker hair and you can't tell. Just no buzz hair cuts for us!
We tried all the sleeping wedges, toys on one side, cranial osteopath etc etc but nothing really worked. My next baby I am going to sleep on their side.

mumof2pixies · 03/04/2008 08:48

My dd has a misshapen head, its sort if flat to the left side at the back, and the right side has a lump. My HV told me it would clear up by itself, but now shes 8.5 and its still the same, so after some trawling of the net I scared myself about it all, and so booked her into the cranial osteopath in the hope she would be able to reshape it a little. I felt really guilty, like it was all my fault leaving her on her back all the time. The cranial osteopath was lovely, but she cant do anything about the shape of dds head, although she did say that her head had molded that way because of how she was lying in my pelvis, rather than lying on her back...so I dont feel as guilty now! CO said that it may correct itself, but that its nothing to worry about. Still cant help worrying a little though! Not about her development as such as that seems to be fine, but more about her perhaps having headaches and things...shes a dreadful sleeper, screams herself to sleep even if im in the room, and can be very fussy and cranky quite alot of the time!

mumof2pixies · 03/04/2008 08:49

..thats 8.5 months not years!!

PerkinWarbeck · 03/04/2008 08:56

my DD had a noticeably flat head at 3-4 months. it provoked much comment from family members and also from a doctor at A+E.

we decided to leave it, as by this stage she was starting to roll and stop sleeping on her back so much. I too found the idea of a helmet a bit . Now at 12mo it has pretty much evened out. there is a tiny flat area (maybe the size of a 2pence piece), but I think that this is only noticeable if you're looking for it, IYKWIM.

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