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12 week old with a flat head...is it too late?

13 replies

dune2003 · 03/12/2024 21:15

Since my DD was 8 weeks I noticed she has significant flattening on one side and the back of her head. From the one side there's little definition to the head shape. She was born with lots of dark hair but I can still notice it. She has a preferred side to sleeping and laying due to tension in her neck from a forceps birth. We've taken her to a cranial osteopath and have seen some improvement in her neck movements, but she still prefers the one side.

The GP and HV were not concerned and didn't even look at her head while insisting it will 'rectify itself'. I'm not convinced.

She hates tummy time, despite us doing it several times a day so only really manages about 10 mins a day. She's also a heavy baby so I can't carry or wear her for long durations due to back pain from a previous spinal anaesthetic. I've bought one of those pillows to use when playing on her mat (which we limit), but honestly, I think its a gimmick. We used to contact nap but have moved to crib naps to get her used to being in the crib during the day. We do lots of talking and activities from her non preferred side to encourage her to move in that direction.

I reposition her head at night but she either tenses up or just rolls back to the other side. My family assures me it's not that bad but I can't stop obsessing over it.

Is there any hope of it rectifying itself? Surely the head will just develop into the shape if it's constantly being laid on?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
ODFOx · 03/12/2024 21:27

She's still tiny. Once she is more self-supporting/upright and likes tummy time all of this is very likely to resolve itself. If the HV isn't worried I don't think that you need to.

pbdr · 03/12/2024 21:29

At that age the back of my daughter's head was as flat as a pancake - comically so. We did precisely nothing about it, and by her first birthday her head was beautifully rounded and normal looking. I think HV and GP are right.

livanlaterlaterlater · 03/12/2024 21:36

My friends daughter had a flat head, until she was about 6 months old , she is a stunning 25 year old working for Red Bull in a very high profile, regularly photed in the press / social media ..really don't worry!!

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Oldermumofone · 03/12/2024 21:36

My daughter’s was very similar and I remember being worried too but once she was moving around it improved a lot and by the time she was a toddler, it wasn’t noticeable.

LilacLilyBird · 03/12/2024 21:53

My DS had a mark on his face for a couple of weeks from the forceps and a slightly odd shaped head.

Both sorted themselves out

Their skulls keep growing changing for years

ILoveAnnaQuay · 03/12/2024 21:59

My DS had a completely flat back to his head due to lying on his back - tummy time wasn't really a thing back when he was born.

It was quite noticeable for several years, even after he started school. But no one ever remarked on it apart from one of my friends who suddenly noticed it after she'd known us for years.

But his head was a completely normal shape by the time he was in KS2. He's now 28 and very handsome (I might be biased).

dune2003 · 04/12/2024 21:32

Thank you all for your replies which have eased my worrying!

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TTCJJB · 04/12/2024 22:30

Get a perfect noggin for your baby and seek out the advise of the experts on the Noggin Doctor's Facebook page.

Readmorebooks40 · 04/12/2024 22:39

It'll be fine. My daughter had a flat head. I always put her down for naps and a lie and kick about on the floor. She's 8 now and her head is normal (from what I can tell anyways through a head of hair 😂).

ADHDHDHDHD · 04/12/2024 22:46

Bring her to see a paediatric cranial osteopath. They will incredibly gently manipulate the plates in her head to help them get into their correct positions.

How was the birth? I ask as not all babies are 'optimally squished' on the way out. Probably explains her hating tummy time too. Does she have a tongue tie?

dune2003 · 05/12/2024 08:23

TTCJJB · 04/12/2024 22:30

Get a perfect noggin for your baby and seek out the advise of the experts on the Noggin Doctor's Facebook page.

Is that a helmet? I read this little evidence to show they actually work? My GP said the same.

OP posts:
dune2003 · 05/12/2024 08:26

ADHDHDHDHD · 04/12/2024 22:46

Bring her to see a paediatric cranial osteopath. They will incredibly gently manipulate the plates in her head to help them get into their correct positions.

How was the birth? I ask as not all babies are 'optimally squished' on the way out. Probably explains her hating tummy time too. Does she have a tongue tie?

She’s seen a cranial osteopath twice, who specialises in babies. After the first appt she was sleeping on the non preferred side immediately, but then regressed to the sleeping on the preferred side again, but after the second, no improvement.

She was stuck in the birth canal, so It was a forceps birth, so I think some tension from that. No tongue tie, but a slight upper lip tie. We took her to a specialist who said it didn’t require cutting.

OP posts:
TTCJJB · 05/12/2024 22:41

dune2003 · 05/12/2024 08:23

Is that a helmet? I read this little evidence to show they actually work? My GP said the same.

No, not a helmet and plenty of good testimonials if you check out the Facebook group.

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