Flat heads - Can parents do ANYTHING right?

[stripeybumpsmum]

Admit my tolerance is low as a result of my cold, DH back injury, DS sniffles and moving house but have really lost it with this one!
Article in today's Times Body and Soul on 'flat head syndrome.' DS (12 weeks) is a bit squished. Apparently, up to 48% UK babies affected, as a result of a) Back to Sleep campaign and b)too much time in car seats or strapped in 'baby gyms and bouncy chairs whilst parents do the chores.'
Advice is to ensure babies are kept in car seat for minimum time, mobile is moved around cot to encourage them to sleep on alternative sides and to carry baby around or use a sling. If these methods don't work by 4 months, see GP for LO to be fitted with what looks like a bike helmet.
OK, except....
We bought the most expensive cot mattress as recommended so it didn't sag...now appears this is too hard a surface for his delicate skull
He prefers to sleep absolutely flat out - just moves back to that if you reposition him
We never let him stay in car seat beyond recommended 90 minutes
Have been advised not to use door bouncers/front facing slings or too much tummy play etc until he can support his head ie AFTER 3 months
Advised carrying him around leads to accidental parenting that he can't be by himself
Told never to use a cushion or pillow in bed - so how do those heart shaped ring things work?
Go figure! Can't win.
Am reminded of HV advice thread this week - e.g. BF until 5 months and 29 days, then on three meals a day of pie, chips and creme eggs at 6 months. Keep him on his back until 3 months...and then if he's got a flat head at 4 months it is our fault.
Sorry long post but fed up of conflicting advice!

Just to confuse things a bit more. DS1 and DS2 both have flat heads. DD doesn't. All 3 were laid on backs, used same car deats etc. All 3 were carried alot in a sling when first born. If anything DS2 shouldn't have one as he was most active and was rolling by 5 weeks, and dd should really have been most likely to have as she spent the most time on her back!

Think there must be some genetic/hereditary thing at work as dd has perfectly shaped head like dh. I have a flat head exacctly like ds's. Don't think there's much damage to my brain because of it. But then maybe........

Myermay, I totally agree, and sometimes, even going private, doctors are so used to do just the most economic option that may be automatically inclined to save you some money rather than act to solve the problem ASAP.

Tamum, there's no other mammal who would sleep on his back if following nature's law. DS always slept on his back but according to some early movement development studies this position hinders/delays the development of movement and strenght of the neck and arms. However, it's much easier to teach a new parent to lay a baby on his back rather than teaching him how to lay him on his tummy (and on which surfaces) safely.

My Dd had a slightly flat area to the side of herr head & I knew at least one little baby of a similar age who had a very flat back of head.

I am due with baby no2 in August & have been looking out for solutions to this.

Agree sleeping on their backs is the best, so am thinking of maybe a sleep curve matteress, a qoi qoi pillow (made in sweden) or a body support from mothercare. This is my current fave option, it's a little support with a soft pillow, rather like the tempura material.

My DD is almost 3 & her small flat patch has gone now. She spent minimal time in her car seat, but did sleep with her head to one side.

OOpps, it's called GOI GOI !

Have read some of this thread and just wanted to add that my son is 4 next month. One side of his head was always more flatter than the other side and as a baby it was really noticeable and it did worry me but was told that as he grew older is head would even itself out. It has and is not very noticeable now, I can still tell and his head is definitely not a perfect shape but it doesn't stand out so we are quite happy with it.

Not sure if this is any help at all but just thought I would add to the thread.

Chandra, the evidence is overwhelming, and other species are not known to have cot death so I don't really understand the relevance of that argument.

Just also wanted to add that he was born this way and I always believed it was because of the way in which he was laid inside me as he always seemed to be in the same position and hardly moved at all, just kicked quite a lot.

Tamum, I agree with you but don't forget that mothers were advised for decades to put their babies to sleep on their tummies and it took some years to find consequences. As with every guideline, I expect this one will be updated or became more specific as time goes by. No guideline is definittive they tend to change with time. Hence my argument, but as I said, I respect the current guidelines and followed them with DS :)

DS was born with plagiocephaly and it got considerably worse due to sleeping on his back. He's 4 yo now and it's still severe and very noticeable.

Plagio usually improves spontaneously before a child reaches 2 years old as the brain grows rapidly during the first 2 years of life and pushes out the flattened skull plates. This can only happen if the child is mobile and not spending long periods with their heads leaning against hard surfaces such as mattresses, car seats, recliner chairs etc.

DS's development was delayed and he didn't crawl until he was 16 mo. He was diagnosed with autism last year and I believe that his developmental delays and consequential severe plagio were casued by him being autistic.

I don't think the current sleep position advice should be changed as incidences of SIDS have declined since it was introduced and plagio resolves without intervention in the majority of cases. I just wish that HV's, GP's etc. were beter informed about this and then they might be able to recognise when a baby with severe plagio is not going to improve and needs intervention.

But surely very young babies (up to 3 months) are basically on their backs the whole time? My son hated the papoose so was always pushed around in the pram - lying flat on his back. I put down the fact that he walked very early to the fact that his back was nice and strong since he was always either on his back in a well-supported pram or asleep in his Moses basket/cot. He did have a flat head - which HV said was due to current advice about sleeping on the back - not so noticeable now since head is covered in hair but still a slightly odd shape (he is nearly 3).

I'm expecting next baby in a couple of weeks. Not sure now what advice to follow. Would have assumed he/she would be spending a lot of time in the pram given good weather but maybe that's not recommended now??

I would keep new baby on his/her back as per recommendations, but I would buy one of the sleepcurve matteresses or the body supports available from PHP. In fact, that is what I'm going to do - I've got a crib, so will get a sleepcurve for that & then when in pram, will have the little body/head support.

Sounds sensible but what's PHP?

a catalogue, - Perfectly Happy People

They sell all sorts of baby/toddler items : - )