Flat head/bulge

MissyC979

At his one-month appointment, the pedi noticed that Finn preferred to look to the left. She said to try to get him to look to the left. However, she said it was barely noticeable and that she almost didn't mention it.

I've been trying to get him to turn more by folk g feeds and diaper changes on the left. I also rotate which side of the crib I put him in. However, he always turns right st night after I put him down and I feel like the preference is getting worse and we can see a bulge more noticeable on his head.

Would you try to bring the baby in sooner to be looked at or wait until the two-month appointment (three weeks from now)? Does anyone have experience with this from an older child about the problem fixing itself without PT or a helmet?

azmama20

@cashingn2 that would be fantastic, cause my LO definitely prefers to look to one side. It is getting better but my pedi did bring it up at her weight check a couple weeks back. Hoping it corrects itself.

ReggieLou13

Look up torticollis. Thats what my LO has. She looks to the left due to tightening of the neck muscels. We have to do stretches with her as well as repositioning her head to look the opposite way. I would definitely call dr to get her to a PT. You can you tube the videos but it's much safer to be taught by a professional.

ReggieLou13

They want it fixed early so your baby doesn't end up needing a helmet.

MissyC979

Cashingn2 That would be great if you could upload the exercises. The pedi hasn't said anything about that yet, but I'd like to be proactive to avoid the problem getting worse.

roxymatt I've been concerned about possible torticolis, since he really fights us on turning left. He can do it, but whenever I put him that way he turns back to the right pretty quickly. I thought we were making progress last week, but it seems to be getting worse now that he's sleeping longer at night and spending more time on that side. Our friend's child had a helmet and while I know it's not the end of the world, I'd certainly like to avoid it if possible.

ETA: How young did they diagnose your LO? I didn't realize it could be diagnosed so young, although I don't know very much about it at this point, I guess.

MissyC979

Are any of you noticing a flat spot or bulging at this point? It's not huge yet, but his head isn't quite as round as it should be,

azmama20

Mine has a minor flat spot, but it's been getting better with tummy time, and she's been moving her head around more too. Also holding her in the opposite arms has helped while cradling.

ReggieLou13

MissyC979 said:

Are any of you noticing a flat spot or bulging at this point? It's not huge yet, but his head isn't quite as round as it should be,

Yes she has a small flat spot. PT said its only .5 cm difference so its a moderate case, and since she is 2 months old, should be corrected rather quickly.

BoothBaby

My little guy also prefers the right...always sleeps with his right ear flat on the mattress. Our pedi showed us how to stretch his neck to the left, which of course he hates, but we have already noticed improvement in the past couple weeks. When he is in the car seat, sometimes we put a rolled up blanket next to his head to prevent him from turning right. Sometimes I will turn his head after he is asleep, but he always turns it back. We are also hoping to prevent a flat spot.

sugarjack

I just noticed Tuesday that mine always looks to the right.  He also has a small flat spot on the right side.  With two days of holding him almost ALL day and supervised Tummy naps it is considerably better but still noticable.  If any of you can upload excercises to help it would be greatly appreciated.  Pedi hasn't emailed me back yet. =(

sugarjack

My Ob and regular doctor through Kaiser emails me.  We shall see if the Pedi does too.  I think they're required to.  Maybe she was out today.

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Ktrue85

Jack has a bad flat spot and a bulge, and if it doesn't improve by his 4 month appointment we are going to be seeking PT or a helmet, via our pediatrician. We have to be a lot more diligent on turning his head to the right when es sleeping. We've increased tummy time and sit-up time over the past week or so, so I'm hoping to notice a change soon. @Cashingn2, i would love a copy of those exercises as well.

grannyweatherwax

What do you mean by a bulge?

MissyC979

pirategirlpink said:

What do you mean by a bulge?

Im not sure whether bulge is the I right word, but it just seems like he has more roundness on the left side, more so than the right. He doesn't have a flat spit on the right per se, but it just doesn't seem as round.

MissyC979

Cashingn2roxymatt
How long do you do the exercises, especially the one where you apply pressure to the shoulder? Do you do repetitions, or do you focus on duration of looking to the left?

The Trail Home

My chiropractor always asks if my LO prefers one breast over the other. She holds him and feels his spine and uses really gentle pressure to sort of massage the tight areas so he is balanced. My pedi actually recommended it as well, saying that it can reduce ear infections as well.

ReggieLou13

They say to do them 8 times a day for 20 seconds each time. She hates it so sadly I only do it like 4 times a day.
@MissyC979