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Parenting

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Original poster

My poor baby & her flathead!!

26 replies

LariyahSpen · 25/08/2015 18:43

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with their own babies & if so if you can give any advice or reassurance - both appreciated!

My daughter has just turned six months & has always had a flat head at the back. When she was 0-3 months I guess it was something a lot of babies had so we weren't worried & no one ever really said anything about it. She has lots of dark hair too which has disguised the flatness!

Anyway she still has a really flat head and I'm just wondering at her age now is this normal? We have tried turning her on her side to sleep but to be honest she's not a great sleeper so the thought of disturbing her once she's sleeping to move her fills me with dread. The rest of her head is such a normal shape but literally at the back its dead straight. People have started mentioning it now as well so it must be bad! Obviously we don't care as long as she's healthy.
Will she just have a flat head? Should I push my HV to get a scan of her skull?

It's just not getting better or popping out. Other than that she's a very happy 6 month old!

Help!!

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capsium · 25/08/2015 18:49

I nevare knew this was a 'thing' before reading MN. Looking at the back of my own head it is quite flat.. No one has ever said anything ever. I'm well educated and everything so I don't think it has had any effect. Thinking about it babies used to be left in prams a lot in days gone by - outside often.

But if it really bothers you, you could mention it to your HV.

HippyChickMama · 25/08/2015 18:49

As she is 6 months old presumably she is starting to sit unaided? My son had this and once he started sitting up without his head resting against something all the time it started to get better. The different parts of the skull don't fuse together completely for ages yet (around 2.5 years if I remember correctly) so there's plenty of time. You don't need to get a scan.

capsium · 25/08/2015 18:50

^never! Ironic that typos always occur when you mention education!

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Original poster

LariyahSpen · 25/08/2015 18:51

Thank you - She has just started sitting up yes so maybe give it some time and see. I was just expecting it to of 'popped' by now

OP posts:

Original poster

LariyahSpen · 25/08/2015 18:51

Capsium

OP posts:

Choccywoccydodah · 25/08/2015 18:56

My DS had a flat head for months too.
We bought a love nest pillow for him for in his cot. It's a heart shaped baby pillow with a hole in the middle.
But tbh by the time he was 6 months we gave him a normal pillow under his fitted sheet.
Some people may not agree, but it's personal choice.
His head had popped out by a year.

ffffffedup · 25/08/2015 19:03

Trust me it will sort itself out in time don't worry about it

Out2pasture · 25/08/2015 19:09

You may want to research plagiocephaly (aka flat head syndrome). Sitting up will not help and if anything may make it worse.
There are products available to help (tortle cap) but I would start by discussing it with a health care provider.
Previous generations played very very close attention to turning and rotating a baby to prevent this. the flat head syndrome has become more of an issue with the current SID prevention strategies of putting a child on their back to sleep.
Tummy time is a good start to correcting this.

AnyFucker · 25/08/2015 19:53

Sitting up will not help and if anything may make it worse.

why ?

HippyChickMama · 25/08/2015 20:34

From the GOSH website on plagiocephaly
"This means that as soon as the moulding ceases, the head can start growing back towards its normal, natural shape - when the baby is old enough not to lie in one position for a long time, and to change sleeping position lots of times each night, and any tendency to turn the head more easily in one direction than another has disappeared."
Sitting up without anything against the head will not make it worse, it may make a torticollis worse but it doesn't sound as if the op's baby has a torticollis as the flattening is at the back rather than the side.

AnyFucker · 25/08/2015 20:45

sitting up won't even make a torticollis worse if the baby has gained sitting balance of it's own (as opposed to propping it up before it has good head control ie. before it is developmentally ready)

HippyChickMama · 25/08/2015 20:55

That's why I said 'may' Anyfucker. Ds had his plagiocephaly as a result of a torticollis (36 hours wedged in posterior brow position will do that) and we used to have to use a wedge to tilt him to his other side and encourage him to look to his left. Poor little bugger was so uncomfortable he wouldn't hold his neck straight when sitting up and was more reluctant to turn his head than when lying down.

AnyFucker · 25/08/2015 21:00

ah, I see what you mean

not making it worse as such, just more noticeable/difficult for baby to turn head both ways

NickyEds · 25/08/2015 21:37

My ds is 20 months and has a flat head at the back. The "damage" was done in the first six months. We saw a consultant because of the size and shape of his head-his head was 90th centile when he was born and 98th by the time he was 3 months so he was scanned. Everything was fine, the consultant said that it was a mixture of him having such a big head and sleeping so well (slept through flat on his back from 12 weeks). We were assured by loads of people that it would round out and whilst it has a tiny bit it's still noticably flat now. I don't know what to think really, I would obviously prefer him to have a rounded head but he's very happy and healthy and there's really very little we could have done about it whilst complying with the SIDS guidelines. I do worry that people think I just shoved him in a bouncy chair though.

Peaceloveandjammydodgers · 26/08/2015 11:57

DS had a very flat head on one side at about 8 weeks (I believe? Hard to remember!). HV advised using a pillow whenever he was lying flat, even in bouncy chair and pram, and it helped loads. At 8m his head is practically a normal shape now. We were very kindly given a Lila Kudis pillow by a MNer :) it's essentially just a tiny pillow!

Gymbunny1204 · 26/08/2015 12:01

Get the asymmetry measured. Try an osteopath. Hundreds of posts on here about it. Do a search as may get more advice.

BadgerFace · 26/08/2015 13:08

My daughter had a fairly flat head. We used one of the special pillows to help and it started to round out from 6 months to 2 years. Although at 2.5 it's still quite flat and I think will stay that way!

I'm currently pregnant with baby No. 2 and intending on using a sling more with this one so she is on her back less...

Pandapickle100 · 26/08/2015 19:54

My daughter has had a flat head from birth, like you we didn't worry too much to begin with but at around 3 months started to get concerned as she sleeps so well and it was becoming very noticeable. We focused on tummy time, sat her up as often as we could (propped with pillows until she could do it herself) and allowed her to sleep on us for some of her daytime naps. She is nearly 8 months know and the shape of her head has really improved. It's still not completely round but a lot less noticeable. I'd mention to HV if you are worried, but it really will get better once she is on her tummy rolling around etc.

sunnydayinmay · 26/08/2015 21:38

DS1 had a flat head from birth (big head, engaged from 32 weeks, just grew in my pelvis, apparently).

Consultant's advice was to leave to sort out in it's own. I kept his hair fairly long, and I think it stopped being noticable at 2 to 3.

He's off to secondary now and I only remember when I see threads like this.

mrsleomcgary · 31/08/2015 15:19

DD had this. HV commented on it in passing but wasnt concerned so all I did to combat it was to hold her during the odd nap.

Now 20months old and you really cant tell,especially as she has thick curly hair.

ThereGoesaTenner · 31/08/2015 20:29

My nephew has a flat head. He's 14 soon. Still has it. His brother has a flat head now as well. Other kids are fine. Apparently the skull doesn't stop growing until around 18 years old so may grow out. But I think if it was going to grow out, it would have done so already.

There wont be anything wrong though. Some babies just have it. It could be because of laying or sitting in a baby chair a lot. I don't know. My son doesn't have a flat head and I think that's because I laid him on his side to sleep and held him a lot, or he sat up in his inflatable ring. I was conscious of it as I didn't want him to have it or lose his hair round the edges. There's nothing to worry about with it. It's fine.

Nonnie23 · 13/10/2015 11:44

Our DD is 2 1/2 years old now. When she was about 2 months she started getting a flat spot. We did a lot of research and ended up buying a Lifenest. They weren't available in the UK at that time so we imported from the USA. The Lifenest mattress topper has a mesh hammock that distributes the pressure really well and is FDA approved in the US for preventing flathead. In use in US hospitals as well apparently! Anyway, her flat spot disappeared within about 2 months and she has a gorgeous symmetrical shape now. We also noticed she seemed to sleep much longer on the Lifenest. We are big fans. We've just had another addiion to the family and she is has been on a Lifenest since birth. And they are available in the UK now at www.firstsleep.co.uk .Check out this on youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=bulbAJ9xSpU

Tram10 · 13/10/2015 15:38

My niece had a very flat head and she had to wear a type of helmet (like a boxers helmet) for around 4 months to get her head back into shape. She was about 6 months old at the time.

I remember my SIL in law explaining that it was not just for the flat head at the rear but that the whole skull would be pushed and could affect the width of her forehead too.

My niece's was quite severe, she still has a slightly flat head, but only noticeable when her hair is wet.

BertrandRussell · 13/10/2015 15:47

There's a special section for advertising, Nonnie..........

captainproton · 13/10/2015 15:55

My DD had severe torticollis since birth, my concerns were ignored for ages. Her flat head was on one side. I took my newborn to physio with her and have said he had it too, so he immediately had to do exercises like tummy time, head rotation and neck stretches. He screamed all the time but he never got a flat head. I kept him in a sling as much as possible. I was told the helmets are not proven to work so we never got one for DD, by then she was 18 months and too old for it.

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