Shape of DC head...rounder on one side

KEF&ACF · November 2008

Do you ever look at the shape of your DC head? Well my mom was asking me if the doctor mentioned anything about the shape of DS head at his 2 month appointment. He almost always is laying on the right side of his head & has probably since he was born. He will sleep & lay on his left, but perfers his right. Well my mom mentioned that his head was still coned shaped. I just looked at it & the right side of his head is semi-flat, while the left side of his head is more rounded.

Did your Pedi say anything to you about your DC head?

Should I call the Pedi?

Any advice?

I don't want him to have to wear a helmet to fix the shape of his head.

Now I'm paranoid & will make every attempt to get him to lay/turn his head to the left side.

mfg102 · November 2008

i don't think i would worry about it at this point if the pedi didn't say anything at the 2 month appt. Our pedi measured his head and looked at it, so if yours did this, I'm sure she would tell you if there was a reason to be concerned. If you are extremely worried, you could call and ask or make an appt to be seen.

love.love · November 2008

I just noticed this in DS this past week myself. I'm almost certain though that it's because he has torticollis as he has a tell tale bump on the side of his neck. Does your DS always look to one side? Or just sleeps on one side more than the other?
either way, try switching which end he lays in the crib often as babies tend to face 'into' a room. by switching crib ends they will probably switch the direction they lay their heads. If it is torticollis however, neck exercises and strengthening are required.

Only pretty severe cases require a helmet I'm pretty sure. Once they get better head control I think they tend to even themselves out a lot. I'd call my pedi though just in case. GL!

mrsk2005 · November 2008

My DD was diagnosed with torticollis at her 2 month appointment because I brought up the fact that she preferred her right side and now has a flat head on the right side. He has referred us to a PT and we are now seeing her every 2 weeks to try and fix the torticollis. If her head shape does not improve she will be referred to a cranial band clinic at her 4 month appointment. If you are worried about it definitely bring it up to your doctor. I am so glad that I did because my husband told me to brush it off. Go with your gut.

auslyn804 · November 2008

DS definitely has a flat head on his one side that he lays on the most. The pedi pointed it out to us at the 2 month appt and said if we didn't work to fix it he could end up needing a helmet that would cost $2000 and insurance doesn't usually pay. It's pretty bad, I can't believe I didn't notice it. She suggested working on his neck range of motion and stretching it to the opposite side. We are doing more tummy time and try to prop him up off of that side as much as possible. She also said they usually get a preference to a side based on positions inutero. It sounds like you are already doing what the dr told us to do.

Mrs.Provost · November 2008

Try to get your baby to alternate which way he faces when sleeping. Give him a lot of tummy time, time sitting up in a Bumbo when he's ready, don't leave him in his infant seat for any longer than you need to. Basically just keep him off the back of his head, and try to encourage him to really use his neck muscles.

Abby has a nasty little flat spot that we're dealing with, and according to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto (our doc called down there for a bit of extra info/help) - a helmet really is only suggested when the flat spot is causing pretty serious issues - if the spot is left to get worse, it can cause the ears to go out of line (which apparently can cause hearing issues), it can cause the forehead to protrude which can make for other issues, and in really severe cases the eyes can be misaligned as well. But those are really serious and fairly rare. Otherwise, it's just cosmetic.

Evan had a flat spot, and still kind of does. His facial and skull symmetry is fine, but if he gets his hair cut too short you can kind of still see the flat spot. So, I'll have to keep reminding him just to not ever ever shave his head in rebellion because it'll look goofy. But our pedi with him told us not to get a helmet just for the sake of giving the kid a perfect shaped head, because they can be pretty uncomfortable for the baby (and for us, as we cosleep).

Sorry for the novel, but we're right in the thick of dealing with it again now with Abby. A lot of babies get flat spots, and most times their heads will self-correct without the need for a helmet. Hang in there, your DS will be fine. Especially now that you're aware of it and can try to be proactive.

Talk to your doc at your son's next appointment, see what they say.

auburnbride2be · November 2008

My DD has the exact same issue. I would just make sure you are trying everything you can to round it out and if you need to call or see your pedi to find those things out, I'd do it. My DD is 4 months old now and has been referred to a neurosurgeon for her flat spot. I will preface by saying that I don't think hers is that severe as no one has noticed it besides family, but it is obviously enough to get referred to a specialist. I noticed the spot from birth, didn't worry too much. Then, at her 2 month appt, I asked the dr. about it. She said to try and do some little things to correct it like alternating which arm I prop her on when feeding her and alternating which way I put her in the crib, tummy time, etc. Nothing major and she didn't seem very worried about it. Well, at her next appt which was 4 months, we got referred to a neurosurgeon to explore a possible helmet. In hindsight, I wish I'd taken DD in around 3 months so we'd be ahead of the game and/or maybe I could have done more over the last month to correct it. They made me feel it was no big deal and now it is. I am sure my situation is the exception here and most babies flat heads do correct themselves, however, I did want to share the story.

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