How much does your baby lie on his/her back?

[Murtola]

Paraniod Mum here!!!

I am concerned that my little boy (10 weeks) lies on his back alot. It is actually his head that I am concerned about.

Obviously he sleeps on his back, then during the day will be on his play mat or with his nappy off having a kick around. He seems to have lost some of the hair on the back of his head aswell.

Is this normal?

Yes totally normal, happens to almost all babies with hair to lose, it will grow back. His head may have a slightly flat bit for a while, but this too resolves itself when the baby is more active. Don't worry!

My DS has a flat head already and he's only 10 weeks old! It's a flat head on one side... I've started using the goi goi pillow whenever I can and also trying to move his head round as he has a definite preference for one side... I've got a sling that I've started taking him out more in since the good weather.

Had a friend whose son got a flat head on one side, quite extreme. So much so that he ended up wearing a helmet to resolve it. It's very common I think. For a few months. Now perfectly round... but there is actually a term for it in extreme cases... Ummm.... sorry, it escapes me. Anyone else know?
I think the problem was that it got so bad that he could not actually turn his head the other way, so it was just getting worse and worse.

My DS2 has a really flat head at the back, his 5mths. I am hoping that it'll either resolve itself once he sits on his own (he is a big lump, lazy, who is not even rolling yet, and quite happy on his back!) or his hair will hide its flatness..... and, checked out my DH's dad's bald head, it looks pretty flat anyway on close inspection..... so must just run in the family(!)

bergentulip - plagiocephaly

My son spent a lot of time on his back as a baby - he didn't even roll over until he was 15 months old and couldn't get himself from lying to sitting until that age, either (ie if I didn't try to force him to do tummy time every day or prop him up with cushions, he stayed on his back the whole time). His head was very flat at the back (fortunately symetrically so, though!), and I was told that this is normal but that if it is still very flat by 12 months, it is likely to stay that way (even if flat at 5 or 6 months, provided your child starts sitting up for large parts of the day at a normal sort of age - ie by 9 months at the latest - it is likely to resolve itself without any "help" on your part).

Despite what I was told, whilst my son's head was still very flat at 12 months, he is now 4 years old, and even when his hair is wet and plastered against his skull, you can see that his skull is no longer flat at the back, but curves out quite nicely - so, ya boo sucks to the experts, I say. As for hair loss, that really is an irrelevance, as it will grow back. Plenty of babies lose all their baby hair. I don't know many (any) bald 2 year olds.

my dd spent all her time on her back, and did not make any moves to turn over till at least a yr.

My babies always slept with their heads to one side, hated being on their backs and sat up early so had round heads. DS had no hair anywhere on his head!
I know lots of babies who have slightly flat heads at the back for exactly this reason, and I think it's become much more common since the 'back to sleep' campaign.
But, if you are worried about the shape of your baby's head, it's important to talk to your GP or HV because plagiocephaly can be sorted out when babies are young. They may just tell you to make sure you give him tummy time and that it'll sort itself out when he can sit up, but it's better to get that reassurance from a professional I always think.