Did you know that babies are born with soft pointy-heads to allow passage through the birth canal
Flat head syndrome is the condition when part of a baby’s head becomes flattened due to continued pressure on one spot. The most common cause of a flattened head is a baby’s sleep position.
According to the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies should be put to sleep on their backs in a firm, flat area, free of toys, pillows or other items. Since doctors are now advising parents to put babies to sleep on their backs many babies have develop flat head syndrome.
Placing babies in devices such as infant car seats, carriers, strollers, swings, and bouncy seats often during the day also adds to this problem.
Some baby however do develop flat head syndrome before birth, if pressure is placed on the baby’s skull by the mother’s pelvis or a twin. In fact, many babies from multiple births are born with heads that have some flat spots.
Premature babies are also more likely to develop flattened head syndrome due to the fact that their skulls are even softer than those of full-term babies. They also spend much more time on their backs without being picked up due to their medical needs and extreme delicacy after birth.
Should I be concern?
While most babies with flat head syndrome will be fine, others might experience developmental delay in few areas such as; speaking or understanding one’s own name, walking and holding a spoon. According to research children with flat head are ten times more likely to experience developmental delays than children without flat head.
Is Flat head syndrome noticeable?
Flattened head syndrome is much noticeable in babies with blond or brown hair than babies with black hair. There is usually less hair on that part of the baby’s head that is flat. If a person is looking down at the baby’s head, the ear on the flattened side may be pushed forward.
In severe cases, the head might bulge on the side opposite from the flattening, and the forehead may be uneven.
Prevention/ Treatment
There are there many options available for treating flat head syndrome. Tummy time is highly recommended while the baby is awake, but let’s face it how long do babies stay up? Some might try to have the baby nap on their laps, again, we all know that’s not the best route. When will you ever have time to do anything if your baby is napping on your laps?
Another option is to wear a custom-fit orthotic helmet. A custom-fit orthotic helmet is a helmet similar to that worn in sports or bicycling specifically designed for controlled molding of the skull.
This helmet is designed to do two things. One it acts as a protective cushion to prevent undue pressure on one side of the head and allow for better distribution of the pressure along the bones of the skull. Two it allows the bones of the skull to expand in the flat areas to the underlying growth of the brain. However this helmet cost approximately $2000.00.
While one might be ok with the options listed above, these are the three practices we recommend which are very affordable and less invasive.
- Alternate the baby’s head position every night when you put your baby down to sleep, and after feeding
- Provide as much tummy time and stimulation as possible during the day.
- Finally, when napping during the day place your baby on the side using the sleep positioned pillow and be sure to alternate
- Keep records of which side the baby was napping on by using a rubber band in your arm a reference. These few steps can help reduce the risk of flat head syndrome.
