Is it safe for flat headed baby to sleep on pillow at night?

[SusannahSpoon]

My baby is 2 months old and has a flat and uneven head. Is it safe for her to sleep on a special pillow at night? I don't see any point asking the GP as they didn't take the funny shape of her head as something to be concerned about anyway.
I know babies aren't supposed to sleep with anything in their cot.
Anyone any other suggestions re how to resolve the issue? We are trying to put her on her front when supervised.

I used a goi goi pillow specially designed for babies to help prevent/correct flattening of the head. They have changed name now but you can get the pillows from here

I don't think a pillow is safe for that age. Give your baby plenty of opportunities to lay on the other side and be on your lap so the head is not being squashed and keep an eye on the shape of the head.

The problem would be if she rolled onto her front with face into the pillow,danger of suffocation.
I wouldnt risk it.

Goi Goi pillows are recommended be health professionals in Sweden and associated with a lower incidence of SIDS so I think they are okay but most pillows aren't.

My DS was also developing a flat head and I looked into the recommended pillows.He was about the same age as your son is now.

In the end I didn't get one as it was a bit pricey and I didn't think I would get my money's worth as you can't use it once your baby starts to roll over.Ha...he is still not rolling over now he's 4.5 months!

But his head is not flat at all now.We have done regular tummy time,even if only for a minute or so at a time.I also propped up one side of his mattress slightly so his head naturally fell to the non flat bit.Also did the same with his pram,used a muslin rolled up to do this.

I used a goi goi pillow in the pram but for the cot and crib used a sleepcurve mattress.

I used a goigoi/ lilakudis pillow too and also for reflux.
They are safe to use and every baby in Scandinavia uses similar - in fact they are recommended.

Agreed - in scandinavia they recommend a pillow to prevent babies getting a flat head.

DS1 (now 2.5) has a really flat head because he basically didn't move until he was 6 months old - infact he never really rolled until he learned to walk at 12 months (funny boy). All the HV said it would be fine - it wasn't.

Anyway, along comes DS2 and I bought him a pillow and - can you believe it - he will only sleep on his stomach! Stupid waste of money pillow and I have to worry about him being on his front. Ho hum.

Please read this recent warning from the US Govt on sleep positioners.

I would say no, do not use a pillow or sleep positioner. It is not worth the risk.

I have had 2 children with plagiocephaly, and we used a goigoi, but only for daytime in the pram, and naps when I was in the same room. Didn't dare use it at night tbh.

As someone else said above, the flat head thing won't last long. It's a natural consequence of babies sleeping on their backs, so you've done well help your son learn to sleep safely. Far better to learn to embrace his flat head than to risk him suffocating on a sleep positioner.

Sorry gonzalez- I completely disagree with that- flathead will last the rest of your life, depending on the severity.
Turkish people have very flat heads at the back, because they swaddle babies and place them on their backs.

I see a lot of older children and adults with misshapen heads here too, mainly because I know what I'm looking at.

Susannah- you can prevent it from worsening by using a sling during the day, tummy time, doing nappy changes on a pillow, etc. The longer they spend on their backs under the baby gym, the worse it will get.

My DS, as with many children I know, had a flat head as a baby. It is now perfectly round.

What you mention about Turkish people us probably genetic. Though I didn't notice any flat-headed tendencies when I was there a few weeks ago.

Sorry I know this is an old thread, but just in case you're still around, we had a Sleepcurve mattress (they are expensive- ours was a gift). They are designed to help prevent flat head and also reduce the risk of SIDs. Could be worth a pop.

We are using a Lilla Kudis pillow for our 4mo as his head is v flat at the back and the dr/hv won' take it seriously, which us incredibly frustrating. I put the pillow under his fitted sheet at night for safety, but they are recommended for all babies in Sweden where, I believe, they have much lower rates of flathead and cot death than here.

We used the small goi goi pillow in his pram and the bigger one under the sheet in his cot until he started rolling over at night, think about 8 months. They really made a difference and definitely helped his head shape. We also used one of those heart shaped pillows with the hole in it on his changing mat / play mat.