Baby who always sleeps on the same side

[ST]

Hi, I have a 6 month old baby who has always liked sleeping with his head facing to the right. As a result he now has a lop-seided head. I was wondering if anyone out there has experienced this and whether the head resolves with time? I have tried turning his head to the left and also leaving a folded blanket alongside him to get him to turn the other way but nothing seems to work. Any bright ideas?

Hi ST... yes, my son has a lop-sided head too! The back of his head was a little bit flat when he was born, instead of very rounded (apparently this is hereditary), but then he started to sleep on his back with his head tilted to one side all the time, therefore it is now flatter on one side than it is on the other!! He is 21 months old and it is looking better than it used to, because he now likes to vary the position he sleeps in - he sleeps on his tummy a lot now. I took him to a number of doctors to ask what they thought, and in the end a pediatrician told me not to worry because his head would 'round out' as he got older. If you are concerned, take him to a doctor to have him checked out, but he will probably be fine. Don't panic about this because it probably wouldn't apply to you, but I've heard that sometimes if the head is very mis-shapen, the baby may have to wear some kind of helmet to help 'mould' the head to a more rounded shape. I think this would be in extreme cases and they can only do it while the fontanel on the baby's head is still open. You may be able to ask a doctor or clinic nurse for advice on what you can do to help the situation, but once your son is old enough to move around more while he's asleep, you won't have to worry so much about the position of his head. Sorry it's a bit long but I hope this has been of some help.

Thanks LiamsMum, that was very helpful and reassuring indeed.

ST, my son had a very lopsided head (flat on one side, rounded on the other) due to always lying on one side. I was very worried about it and asked my GP, who told me not to worry about it. Now he is 4.5 y.o. and looks perfectly normal (I've just taken a look at him in the bath with wet hair to check!). The only reminder I have is his baby photos - because of the shape of his head, he always seemed to bump his forehead on the same side, so up to about 2 y.o. loads of my photos of him seem to have a bruise in the same place!