Flat head babies

Rainbow17 · February 2015

For those that have babies with flat heads, did the head round out and fix itself by 6 months without any interventions? What was you experience to correct the flat head?

Bigboobsmcgee · February 2015

My son had a flat spot and luckily we didn't need any intervention. It rounded out on it's own. Once babies start to sit up, it's easier to keep them off the back of their head.

Both my kids had/have torticollis and my 4 month old has plagiocephaly too (misshapen head) so she is more likely to need a helmet but the Pedi won't address that until she's 6 months. We still have 2 months for her head to round out.

My biggest suggestion is to keep your LO off his/her back as often as possible to keep pressure off the head. Lots of tummy time too.

natalie559 · February 2015

I ordered a mimos pillow off amazon that keeps their head while laying down supported and off the flat spot. I really like it and feel it is making some difference. I *really* wish I had used it from birth vs starting at 4 months old as I think it would be really good at preventing the flat spot to start. I ordered the xl and xxl to see which size I like and stuck with the xl, the xxl is same sized pillow but thicker neck support and didnt fit my baby well. Now that she is rolling over she doesn't stay on it all night, but any hours she is on it makes me feel better!

https://www.amazon.com/MIMOS-Baby-Pillow-XL-certification/dp/B0057MWIG0

Bigboobsmcgee · February 2015

natalie559 said:

I ordered a mimos pillow off amazon that keeps their head while laying down supported and off the flat spot. I really like it and feel it is making some difference. I *really* wish I had used it from birth vs starting at 4 months old as I think it would be really good at preventing the flat spot to start. I ordered the xl and xxl to see which size I like and stuck with the xl, the xxl is same sized pillow but thicker neck support and didnt fit my baby well. Now that she is rolling over she doesn't stay on it all night, but any hours she is on it makes me feel better!

https://www.amazon.com/MIMOS-Baby-Pillow-XL-certification/dp/B0057MWIG0

Even a product like this will create a flat spot. No product out there, no matter how it's advertised, will help or prevent this. You just simply have to keep them off the back of their heads as much as possible while they are awake.

shellrae650 · February 2015

Our son has a flat head and we bought the boppy head pillow. We would put it in the car seat and the bouncy seat. It looks so much better.

harmonicbabe26 · February 2015

If the flat spot is centered and face hasn't lost symmetry then I would say it will be fine just keep LO off the back as much as possible. Both my kids were/are breech babies and had off center flat spots and facial asymmetry due to pisition in utero so we needed/will need cranial bands. But my friend's little boy who was a bit flat right in the middle totally got better on his own.

Bigboobsmcgee · March 2015

harmonicbabe26 said:
If the flat spot is centered and face hasn't lost symmetry then I would say it will be fine just keep LO off the back as much as possible. Both my kids were/are breech babies and had off center flat spots and facial asymmetry due to pisition in utero so we needed/will need cranial bands. But my friend's little boy who was a bit flat right in the middle totally got better on his own.

This is the situation with my daughter. Her face isn't symmetrical but they want to wait until 6 months to see if she rounds out.

How long did your first LO have a band? Was it bad or did your LO not mind it??

harmonicbabe26 · March 2015

@Bigboobsmcgee DD1 was in the band for 10 or 11 weeks. She started at 6m 2w. At that age growth slows down so it takes longer for progress. My friend's baby with a very severe case was in a band for 6 weeks but they started around 4m old. She had some good growth spurts and rounded out really fast.
With my DD2 we plan to get evaluated and fitted right at 4m old so she can get banded faster. Since she was born with the funky shape head we've been watching it since birth and we even completed PT on her tight neck (not torticollis, just tightness) at 9 or 10 weeks old... (Started at 4weeks old).
DD1 did not even notice she had anything on her head. It did not interfere with anything, sleeping, playing, eating. Nothing at all.

Bigboobsmcgee · March 2015

harmonicbabe26 said:
@Bigboobsmcgee DD1 was in the band for 10 or 11 weeks. She started at 6m 2w. At that age growth slows down so it takes longer for progress. My friend's baby with a very severe case was in a band for 6 weeks but they started around 4m old. She had some good growth spurts and rounded out really fast.
With my DD2 we plan to get evaluated and fitted right at 4m old so she can get banded faster. Since she was born with the funky shape head we've been watching it since birth and we even completed PT on her tight neck (not torticollis, just tightness) at 9 or 10 weeks old... (Started at 4weeks old).
DD1 did not even notice she had anything on her head. It did not interfere with anything, sleeping, playing, eating. Nothing at all.

Wow, that's good to hear. I was thinking that IF DD had a helmet, she would have to have it for like 6 months but maybe not! We just finished up PT for torticollis (she will be 5 months old in 1 week) but the PT and her Pedi said to wait and see what happens with her head by the time she reaches 6 months old. It has improved drastically since birth though. We also started PT when she was 4 weeks old. Her head is misshapen because of the same reasons you described above.

Her head sticks out on the sides, above her ears and she does have a flat spot off to the side of the back of her head. Her right ear is a tiny bit lower than her left ear, but not too bad. I definitely want this fixed though.

I'm scared to wait too long to get her evaluated and fitted but I'm just going along with what her doctors have said for now. I definitely think she'll need something and her head won't be where I want it by 6 months. I just have a feeling.

Flat head babies

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