My 8 Week Babies Head Is Flat on One Side

I have three children and they all had flat spots unless it is really bad and then I would point it out to the doctor. I just alternated the way my kids slept in bed. I used a wedge with my kids and just alternated the side they slept on. I feel for you going back to work I managed to do it for a few months after my first one but had to stay home after that I was to leary of sitters.

I'm sorry you have to go back to work. The best years of my life have been the ones I have spent home with out daughter. The flat head is a normal condition babies get from their preferred side to sleep on. There is nothing wrong with your baby. Aventually, it will return to "normal", especially as the skull hardens.
Best wishes!

Hello....

That is common. I had that happen with both my girls. What is going on is the baby is sleeping on one side. You might want to try and put her at the other end of the crib or start out facing the other way so that when they flip, they are flipping on the non flat side.

You wouldn't know it, but my daughter had a pretty flat head but it rolled right back out.

My son who is now 4 also had a flat side to his head. I would mention it to the doctor but just keep an eye on it for now. A lot of the time the issue will straighten itself out with age and growth. Things that will help- making sure she does not spend a lot of time laying on that side. If you see her with her head turned that way then gently reposition her as many times as you need to. My son's neck was turned in-utero so it was uncomfortable for him to lay on one side. When he turned 7 months old we got what is called a DOC band. You will need a prescription from his pediatrician for it and check with your insurance since not all carriers cover this since some consider it cosmetic. It depends on how severe and also how your doctor writes the script for it. Don't wait to long to ask because once they reach the age of two it is too late to get one due to the rate of growth slowing down. Don't be afraid of this or scared of this. The younger they are the less likely they are to even notice it. If you have any questions that you would like me to answer please feel free to send me a private message. Good Luck and congratulations on your daughter.

I would talk to your babies doctor. I'm not sure the wedge is the best idea because they are supposed to be on their backs with nothing in the crib (SIDS). There are devices that your baby can wear that can help even out the shape of her head.

Hi L., My boys also had this problem. Some things I tried:
1) nursing or giving bottle while holding on side that isn't flat
2) switching which side of the crib or changing table I placed his head (so that baby will have to use the "non-flat" side of head to see you or the room)
3) using an upside down u-shaped head support while in bouncy seat, stroller, car seat
4) laying him on the floor on his back with something interesting to look at on the side of head that isn't flat
5) put in an exersaucer as soon as the baby had neck and some stomach muscles.
6) lots of tummy time! the crying will break your heart at first, but it will get better within a few days.

My pediatrician recommended the above and it worked very well. Neither child has a flat head now. Good luck!

Babies this age have a "preferred side" that they will turn their head towards. Try putting her in her crib facing the other way. She will want to turn towards the light/window, so this will help her want to face the other direction. Do NOT put a wedge in her crib. Especially if you think she might turn over soon (she will likely learn to turn front to back before she learns to turn back to front) having anything in her crib other than a light blanket is really not recommended.

As she becomes more mobile and gets better head control this should resolve itself. Other things you will want to do are avoid having her laying down more than she needs to. A bouncy seat or swing will help her look forward more. You can also try getting one of those little behind-the-head donut cushions - we had one that Boppy makes that we moved from our son's bouncy seat to his stroller etc.

L.,

Just move your baby to the other end of the crib every other night. This way they don't always rest on the same side of their head. Also, once they can roll over, it is ok for them to sleep on their tummys, and a lot of babies prefer that position.

Jenni

I noticed this with my daughter at 7 weeks. It is called plagiocephaly and you can learn a lot about it online. At her 8 week check up, I pointed it out to the doctor who said it was caused by "torticollis" (like a neck sprain) and showed me some exercises to do at each diaper change. We did these very consistently and aggressively repositioned her to avoid having her rest on the flat spot. We also took her to a specialist (Frank Vicari at Children's) at 5 months because my pediatrician took a "wait and see" approach for longer than we were comfortable with. I would suggest mentioning it to your doctor and requesting an evaluation by a specialist if there is not improvement within several months. Your baby is very young and her head is going to grow a lot in the coming months, so there is lots of opportunity for this to correct itself.

Good luck.

Does she really like a swing or bouncy seat? Keeping her out of those and instead laying on the floor might help. Also if you tend to carry her in her car seat taking her out and instead carrying her in a sling or in your arms may help. Tummy time is helpful too. I would talk to your doctor because if you don't take care of a slight problem now it may require more intensive treatment later. Good luck!

I agree about checking for torticollis. My daughter had it bad and we started physical therapy at 6 wks and she's now fine without a DOC band or helmet. Our therapists were great (www.NSPT4kids.com) Think of PT as their own exercise coach, not a huge deal, but something you will do for the best of your child. another tip I was told: place a tightly rolled washcloth under the head (not the whole body) on that side when they sleep, so the head is straight up and down. They will wiggle it away, so you have to be vigilant about checking on it, but it works. And lots of tummy time! I know they don't like it, but they don't like getting their shots, brushing teeth, and eating vegetables before dessert, but we do what's best for our child anyway. you're a great mom. Good luck!

First, I am by no means a doctor!!! Do you notice she tends to favor looking one way (to the right instead of the left... or vice versa). I've heard flat spots can sometimes be caused by Torticollis. My baby had torticollis and luckily we caught it before her flat spot got too bad and before she needed to wear a padded helmet (approx 3 months old). Torticollis is where the neck muscles on one side start to develop shorter due to the baby favoring one side over the other. It's easily corrected with stretching exercises and chiropractic treatments. I took my daughter to an excellent Chiropractor (Dr. Whitney in Naperville), and he had her back to normal in a couple weeks. She started looking to the left AND right with ease, and didn't cry during tummy time (prior to her adjustments her neck hurt too much to raise it off the floor during tummy time). Hope this helps!!!

I don't know what to tell you about your baby's head, but I can tell you that going back to work will get easier as time goes on. It still stinks, but it does get easier.

Good luck!

The curcial component during development is the switching ends of the crib for sleeping and being sure your daughter is carried as much as possible when awake. As soon as she begins to roll over, you should see a vast improvement.

I wish to also acknoweldge the skills of Dr. Frank Vicari at Children's Platic Surgery Department. He has performed several surgeries for both my youngest son and daughter for which we are eternally grateful. He is very empathetic with parents and wonderful with children

A final comment, going back to work doesn't nescessarily become easier. I finally decided to start a home-based business to supplement my family's income and to allow me the freedom to be with my children. The time when they are growing is the most crucial. Don't let anyone tell you when they are teenagers then you can be comfortable at work. I have three children (20, 15, 13) and find I am needed more at home now then every before!

If you or someone you know is considering other options for balancing family, health, and income, please have them review my website at www.smartbusinessforyou.com.

My goal is to partenr with other women to make a difference in the world - starting with our families first.

First of all, don't panic. If you are not nursing, make sure that you alternate which side you feed her on so that you are not always pressing one side of her head into your arm. Make sure that when she is able, you start doing some tummy time. Also you should have her evaluated by a Cranial Sacral therapist. There are also some Chiropractors who do Cranial work as well. Her flat spot may be a result of in-utero constraint that would have put pressure on her head while you were pregnant with her. Did you have back pain while pregnant? Did you have back labor when delivering her? Was she a vaginal delivery? If the flat spot is a result of in-utero constraint, it will not necessarily show up right away. But she is at the age that it will start to show. In this instance she would greatly benefit from cranial sacral work!! If I can be of any further help- just e-mail me.
T. Bialek D.C.

I agree with Courtney. Don't worry too much about nighttime, esp. since she's going to roll, soon. But during the day make sure she is not positioned on her back at all. Either have her on her tummy (maybe even supervised for naps) or either have you or her daycare provider carry her in a sling/wrap/mei tai. Carseats are the main culprit in flat heads--babies should only be in the carseat when in the car or when napping. Swings are a close second. Our pediatrician recommends only carrying in a carrier (not other baby-holding devices like swings/carseats/bouncy seats) to correct this problem without a helmet. Make sure your daycare will follow through on this. You may have to provide the carrier and keep track of when they use it. A Bjorn should work fine for a baby under 15 pounds, or any of the other carriers, esp. a pouch or a ringlsing. Not a Snugli or Infantino, though--not supportive enough for the Snugli and the Infantino sling is under criticism for causing suffocation. Also, in another month or so, baby can go in the Exersaucer for short periods of time if they have good head control.

Get rid of the wedge. My son had the same problem but my doctor noticed right away and told me that those wedges are garbage. Correct it fast by laying her down at different ends of the crib each time she sleeps. Get rid of the covers and just dress her in warm pj's that way she could move around without you worrying. Good luck!!!!!!

Hi there! My son (he is now 7 months) has Torticollis which caused him to always look to the right which then caused a flat spot. Keep an eye on it and mention it to your pediatrician. My son now wears a DOC Band and we are already seeing improvements! He also has physical therapy to help the Torticollis and isn't looking to the right as often. If you ever have any questions...please feel free to email me at ____@____.com