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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

DD has a flat head - will it go back?

25 replies

EllieG · 14/08/2008 20:26

DD is 4 months. She has always put her head to one side only when asleep and nothing can persuade her otherwise. Her head has a weird flat bit now and she looks sort of pointy. Health visitor said she thought it would get better when more mobile. Has anyone else's had this and it got better?

Is there anything I can do? It looks quite obvious now and people remark on it. I try to encourage her to move her head when awake and playing by putting toys on the other side, but she loses interest after a while. And she isn't rolling yet cos she hates tummy time, although I am trying to get her used to it.

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MmeLindt · 14/08/2008 20:29

Could you put a towel on her side so that she has to lie on her other side? Roll a towel into a sausage shape, and put them at her back.

We had to do this to DD as the back of her head was flat and it sorted it out within a relatively short time.

midnightexpress · 14/08/2008 20:30

It's funny, I was just thinking about this the other day. DS1 had the same thing when he was small, for the same reason. He's now 2.9, and I mentioned it to dp when ds1 was having his hair washed the other day, and I noticed there's still a bit of a flat bit at one side - "do you remember how worried we were about it?" How we laughed . Honestly, once her hair grows, you don't notice it at all and within months, you'll have forgotten all about it.

HTH

GordonTheGopher · 14/08/2008 20:31

PLEASE go and see a cranial osteopath. DS had exactly the same problem. Please don't listen to gps or hvs who say they will grow out of it.

My cranial osteopath gave me a fab pillow that made ds sleep on his side so that his neck relaxed to the other side.

HTH.

GordonTheGopher · 14/08/2008 20:32

at x-posts saying completely opposing things then HTH.

Original poster

EllieG · 14/08/2008 20:33

Thanks - I will try towel idea.

Good to know midnightexpress - am a little worried I will have to keep her in hats forever. Doesn't help that she's very fair and as bald as a coot.

Am not making her sound very attractive am I? My pointy-headed bald baby. She is very nice in lots of other ways, honest.

OP posts:

midnightexpress · 14/08/2008 20:33

Well, that was our experience. Hope your DS is OK Gordon

MmeLindt · 14/08/2008 20:34

Gordon
What was your fab pillow like then? I just used towels, did not know that you got special pillows.

GordonTheGopher · 14/08/2008 20:34

He's fine - perfectly round head!

GordonTheGopher · 14/08/2008 20:34

Er hang on will try to find link.

Original poster

EllieG · 14/08/2008 20:35

Hm - I will maybe ring oestepath person as I know a good one, will see if she can help.

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Original poster

EllieG · 14/08/2008 20:36

What does HTH mean anyway?

OP posts:

GordonTheGopher · 14/08/2008 20:38

It's a bit like this one but I can't find the one I've got.

A towel rolled up either side does the job - just helps your dd to sleep on her side.

Original poster

EllieG · 14/08/2008 20:40

But I thought I shouldn't put other bedding in her cot yet encase she suffocated or something?

OP posts:

MmeLindt · 14/08/2008 20:41

That does look good, Gordon. We had to put DD on her side for ages as she also tilted her head to one side. That pillow would have been handy. MIL might have managed to put DD down for a sleep then

MmeLindt · 14/08/2008 20:44

The danger with bedding in the bed is that she might slip under them or pull them over her head. It is suspected that it could be a factor in SIDS, as is letting them sleep on their tummies/side. I tended to use the towels during the day and just let her sleep on her back at night. The towels are rolled up so dont move much.

angel1976 · 14/08/2008 20:48

Does she have torticollis? DS also developed a flat head because his head was always turned to one side. Everyone (including GP) fobbed me off with 'babies always have a preference for one side...' Anyway, I took him to a paediatrician at 4 months old and he was diagnosed with torticollis and referred to a physio. I was given a set of exercises to do as well and DS is almost 6 months and much improved. He also had a goi goi pillow and that helped a little. I took him to a CO and that didn't really work for us...

Original poster

EllieG · 14/08/2008 20:53

Hmm I wonder about that. She seems to find it really hard to put her head as far round one side as the other. Maybe I should see my GP about a physio ref. And one of those funny pillow things.

OP posts:

Celery · 14/08/2008 21:04

My first DS's head was very flat and I was worried about it. In our case, it did sort itself out and he was fine. I think usually once the baby becomes more mobile - rolling over, and then sitting up and crawling, it rectifies itself. However, I can see from this thread that this isn't always the case, so probably woth pursuing it.

MmeLindt · 14/08/2008 21:19

Oh, that is what DD had, the neck tilting thing.

I think that you should get her checked out.

In DD's case we just had to lay her down on the opposite side so that the neck muscles stretched gradually.

smartiejake · 14/08/2008 21:25

Another vote for the cranial osteo. My nephew had a really flat head on one side and the osteo really helped.

Original poster

EllieG · 14/08/2008 21:43

Have just ordered a special pillow like what gordonthegopher showed me. Will make big effort to do more tummy time and speak to GP and osteo lady too. Have been looking up pics of flat-headed children in helmets on internet and am scared now.

OP posts:

angel1976 · 14/08/2008 22:45

Hi EllieG,

Your LO is only 4 months old so plenty of time to intervene. Don't wait too long. The physio said I should have come a lot earlier - their muscles are not so developed then. Ironically, once they develop the muscles to hold their heads up etc, it also means the muscles become more rigid and harder to manipulate. I can see a huge difference in my DS's head shape in two months so do push the issue, I wish I did!

priceyp · 15/08/2008 06:31

I worried about going down the helmet route,but after seening consultants decided that it wasn't neccessary and hopefully 4 mths is young enough to fix it. My DS was the same, but lots of tummy time during the day and this will strengthen her neck muscles. I also bought a sheepskin (from John Lewis) and this was perfect for him to lie on and stop the flatness when he was playing during the day. I would have bouhgt the goi goi pillow too had I known about it. Once he got to sitting up stage it evened out completely although his head is even it's flatter than his sisters. She is a tummy sleeper and can lift her head and shoulds up at 16 weeks.

Good luck with referrals, anything else that you can do to help has got to be a bonus!

GordonTheGopher · 15/08/2008 08:07

She won't need a helmet if you get it fixed this early - my osteopath said their bones are so flexible you can change the shape of their face... and he moved my son's eyes in front of me!

AnnasBananas · 15/08/2008 13:27

Sleep on back...play on front!!

Even if they don't like tummy time go for it several times a day even if only for 30 seconds to a minute initially, get down on her level with lots of smiling, praise and fun toys etc then build it up a little at a time. Aids digestion as well as a mini-workout for them! Get them up of their backs as much as possible, bumbo sets and activity centres with the little built-in seats are very useful. DD2 head was flat but I got her up as much as possible and it improved although not the lovely rounded shape of DD1 who had tummy time from 10 days old (got used to it early) she loved being on her tummy. It will improve.

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