My 4 mo. old went in for his well check today and I asked about the back of his head getting a little flat on the side he likes to sleep. The pedi said he had definitely seen worse but gave me a card for a specialist. My question is, "Is it worth going or should I give it a little more time?" The pedi said I didn't have to go that chances are they won't do anything at this point. He just gave it to me just in case.
We decided to see if it would correct on its own as he got older. It did. He has a beautiful rounded little head. :)
H.,
As long as your baby's head circumfrance is growing in proportion to his weight and height I would not worry too much at this point. Positional Plagiocephaly (my nickle word for the day) tends to be very self limiting and will correct with just repositioning him during sleep and naps.
Hope this helps!
D.
(wearing my Pedi RN hat)
Hi H.,
We had the opposite problem in that when our son was 4 months old our pediatrician told us he needed to see a specialist about his plagiocephaly condition and would need to get fitted for a helmet. We ended up taking him to another doctor for a 2nd opinion and that doctor didn't think the flat spot was severe enough for that course of treatment. We did see the specialist also after that who thought that his case wasn't severe enough to warrant the helmet because at that age he felt that his head would most likely begin to round out on its own once he was sitting upright on his own and spending less and less time on his back.
He is 20 months old now and I can't even notice the flat spot (especially now that he has hair). Once are more upright it really does start to round out. I would definitely try repositioning your baby to make sure he isn't constantly lying on the same side. My advice would be to also get a 2nd opinion from another doctor if you are concerned about it. The research I read stated that the optimal time to correct the problem is between 4 - 9 months.
Good luck!
Hi H., My son had a flat head as well. We used a wedge that holds them in place when they sleep. It is hard to get them use to it but it really helps. My sons head is fine now. Also when he gets older he will start to roll to his side on his own which helps. My doctor said that the helmet is expensive and hard to get insurance co. to pay.
Good luck, J.
I have seen so many babys with flat heads. Some will round out and others stay flat. The best thing is to make your baby sleep in other positions. Use pillows to keep him on his side or let him sleep on his tummy. At 4 mo he should be fine for tummy sleeping. Keep his sheets pulled tight so they don't rinkle up in his face and don't put any toys in his bed that he could pull over his face. A blanket across his back should be fine. He won't be able to reach behind him to pull it over his head. If you continue to let him sleep in the same position the flatness will only get worse. I've spoken to 1st time moms that said that no one ever told them to let there baby sleep on their tummy. Most doctors say not to. There children are the ones with the flat heads. A friend of mine had to put a helmet on her son to reshape his head. You dont want to go through that. If you think about it everything he does at this stage he is on his back, in the car seet, in the swing, on the floor. So give him as much tummy time as you can. It will be good for him to learn to use his neck and back mussles. Place some toys infront of him and have him try to reach for them. It may take a few months but you will see that his head will round out.
I'm just trying to help. =)
I would definitely hold off on seeing a specialist just yet. My friend's dd had a TERRIBLE flat spot on her head. My dd's head lost her hair where she rubbed it while lying on her back. Anyway, they both resolved within a couple of months of sitting up.
I would just start encouraging sitting up for the little guy, and try sleeping him on his other side at times. Look for a wedge with foam sides for poisitioning him during sleep. Any baby store will have these. As for sitting up, my dd sat up VERY early thanks to the Bumbo seat. You should check that out, it will probably turn out to be your best friend. He will learn to sit up and love seeing the world from a different perspective AND you will be able to get more done while he is sitting in it. You can buy them at a lot of places now, but here is a link for info...
Best wishes!
I know this is an old post, but I just saw it and thought I would pass on a helpful article in the Dallas Morning News about this very subject-maybe for future reference.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/healthyli...
I went through the same thing with my son, 6 1/2 years ago, except I did take him to the specialist. Of couse, the dr. suggested we try the "band". It's the helmet that reshapes their head over a period of time. His head did change shape and was more round, but to be honest, I'm not sure if I would even be able to tell that he ever had one today. First, you have to (or at least I did) drive to Medical City once a week for them to adjust the band. And, worst of all, the kids have to wear them 23 hours a day. They're only allowed to take it off for cleaning. My son was six months old and he had to wear it for one whole summer, and it was not very fun for him. Once his hair grew in I'm almost positive that I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. And also, some insurances will not cover them because it's considered cosmetic. I hope that helps, and doesn't confuse you even more.
A.
Everything I've ever read about flat heads or flat spots says to make sure you change your baby's position, whether awake or asleep. I know you don't want to bother him while he sleeps, but if you could just move his head slightly, it might help and he may even start to move on his own as he gets older and stronger. You might talk to another doctor in your pediatricians practice just to get another viewpoint or talk to your OB/GYN. Good luck and congratulations!
