11 weeks old flat head on one side, help??

[mypurple]

Hi,

Does anyone have tried and tested methods of fixing a baby's (11 week old) flat head on one side?

He favours sleeping on the side so every time I move his head to the other side he just changes it back shortly after. I have a cushion which is for flat head babies but there's mixed opinion on whether it's safe to use or not plus someone said it affects the development of their neck muscles??

It's called plagiocephaly. My daughter who is 14 now had this as a baby.

Some people go down the route of having a helmet fitted, my daughters rectified itself with no treatment.

Lots of tummy time and when old enough sitting in a bumbo seat will help

Your baby has torticollis, which causes a head rotation preference. This has caused his head to grow flat on one side because he ways lies with the same side in contact with the mattress. It's the same principle as a pumpkin (or similar vegetable) which grows next to a wall - the side in contact with an unyielding surface will become flat.

He needs Physiotherapy for the torticollis. For the head shape, it depends how much it bothers you. He is still young enough that it can continue to grow flat (flattening peaks at about 4 months and generally doesn't get worse after that age) and plenty young enough that you can do something about it. If you have a Facebook account, you might want to have a look at the Noggin Doctors Plagiocephaly and Torticollis Discussion Board. Its run by a craniofacial plastic surgeon and you will find a lot of evidence-based information, and talk to other parents, including those who have used the Perfect Noggin to restore roundness. If you post pictures he will advise on the degree of flattening and your options.

Pillows are not a good idea though. They increase the risk of SIDS by 2.5 times, and they do absolutely nothing in terms of changing head shape because a pillow conforms to the shape of the head that lays on it.

We used a sling as our main mode of transport, and sometimes just around the house to settle DD. It cut out a lot of time lying down in the buggy, also lots of tummy time. In another month or so baby will be rolling, and will move around more in sleep anyway.