DD has developed a flat spot on one side of her head. To me it stands out quite a bit when look from the top of her head down towards feet, but I wouldn't say it is extreme. I took her for her 8wk health nurse visit today and asked about it. She said she has Plagiocephaly (the fancy word for the flat spot on head), and to try facing her head the other direction when sleeping. This is all good and well but I have tried this and she still favours and will often turn her head back to the flat spot. What made me upset was, when I said "will this fix itself and is there a point that I should be alarmed?" the health nurse said "no, she just may end up with a flat spot for ever but her hair will cover it" I was so shocked and upset inside that I just said nothing because I felt like I'd get nowhere. Am I over reacting?
I have been putting her to sleep on her side using a safe sleeper positioner, I'm hoping this will help. Is there anything else I can do. Don't get me wrong, it's not extreme (although you can start to see a change in the shape of her forehead also) but I think early treatment would be best and at 8 wks I thought that there would be time. I don't want DD to have an odd shaped head if we can help it as I'm sure you'd still notice it with hair covering it anyway.
What do you think? Any suggestions?
It's time like this that I really hate being in the middle of nowhere!
Last edited by Ellee05; October 2nd, 2009 at 03:07 AM.
: added info.
Jazz was diagnosed with Plagiocephaly and Torticollis (tight neck muscles) around 4ish months.
The Torticollis was stopping her from turning her head away from the flat spot, which is how she got it in the first place. Her neck muscles being shorter and too tight on one side, and looser on the other, meant it was easier only to look to one side. Not sure if this is an issue you are having? But its a common cause, and side-effect, of plagiocephaly (side effect: if they have a flat spot, its hard for them to turn, so they don't and the muscles on one side become tight, and the other become too loose).
It's also important to keep up-to-date with head circumference measurements. We need x-rays and things to make sure everything was still open amd growing. Flat spot can (but hardly ever does) indicate a skull growth issue. Sometimes the plates fuse and cause bulges, facial deformaties, 'diamond' shapes, and flat spots. BUT this is rare, and the 'shapes' are much more distictive.
Her's was quite severe, it was starting to impact of her forehead and ear position (one ear was more 'forward' than the other), and there was talk of a helmet at one point if it started to effect her facial features and jaw, but we got our MCHN to refer us to the hospital physio, had a few appointments, we got some advice on how to stretch her neck (simple stretching in the opposite direct of the shorter muscles to stretch them out). We did this 3+ times a day, as well as getting her off her head.
Our sling was a HUGE help, and I had her in that ALOT of the time, sleeping tummy-to-tummy so she wasn't resting on her head.
Also, this is mostly for the Torticollis, the physio said to put her in the sing on our hip (Jazz head neck control thouh and could hold her head up as she was a bit older) so that when she looks forward she's stretching the opposite way she usually does (another way to stretch the neck muscles).
We bought a Bumbo (again, Jazz was a bit older, but I'd suggest buying once once she gets get neck control and can hold her head up, if she still has the flat spot), and had jazz in that ALOT of the day. We did this at the physio's advice too. Some people will say not to, but we took our professionals advice, and it has a short back, so she can't rest her head on anything. We did this up to 3 hours a day.
Jazz hated tummy time, but we had to persist with that too. Also, when she is laying on the ground, play with her on the opposite side, so she is turning onto the 'bump' and away from the 'flat'. Bathtime, hold her so that when she looks at your she is turning her neck the 'opposite' way (thats more neck stretching, it won't directly help with the flat spot, BUT if she's like Jazz, it will end up helping).
Some same acupressuce and cranial... something... helps, but we never did that. If you are interested, search for plagiocephaly in the search function ^^^ at the top. You shold find some posts be me, Divvy, and Jakabella... two other members who I know have gone through this as well.
Her 'flat' and 'bump' were evening out nicely by 6 months so she never needed the helmet, and by 10 months it was almost normal looking. If she ever does a 'shaved head' pahse she'll find she has a bumpy head but it's not out of the 'normal' range of bumpy IYKWIM. Her hair covers it now, and I can't feel anything 'odd' when i touch the back of her head so
Hope this helps
ETA: Co-sleeping seemed to help also. I breastfed (still am ) and slept on the left, so she had to turn towards me to feed, which got her off her flat spot. She also cuddled into me, which meant she slept on the bump not the flat, which i think had a HUGE impact. Not sure if this is doable or necessary for you, but if you find it getting worse and not better, might be something to consider?
Last edited by Indadhanu; October 2nd, 2009 at 06:23 AM.
Leasha - Thank you!! Thanks for making me not feel like I was stupid for being concerned that we should just let it go. I have swithed DD sleeping end of cot but that hasn't helped. I am constantly going in and trying to change her head direction. I use the sling a lot - so glad to hear that it helped your little one. I guess, what I was mostly stressed about was that we had been told to just leave it and she'll probably end up with a flat spot in her head. When the answer I was looking for was similar to what you said, "if x starts to happen" we need to see physio/doctor whatever it may be. I will try your suggestions. We are becoming conscious of which arm we hold her in but the bath is something that hadn't registered.
I'll use the search tool and have a read. Thanks again.
Hi there! Only just saw this. I had a similar thing happen with DD.
At 8 weeks the MCHN said to keep a real close eye on it and do everything I was already doing. I decided to take her to an osteopath. From her first appointment, I noticed a change. DD no longer preferred one side of her head to the other. She has now had 4 appt with the osteo over 3 months and the flat spot has nearly gone. I credit it to the osteo.
I've also got a Bumbo that DD loves, and she enjoys tummy time for short periods. Once she starts sitting on her own, I think it will completely correct itself, but If I hadn't have seen the osteo, I'm not so sure it would have worked out this well.
Niadla - glad to hear that your DD has had success! We are quite remote and either 1600km or minimum $250 flight each way to a Osteo, but obviously would happily find a way to make it possible to take her there if need be. Perhaps I should be looking at this now, or do you think I should see what happens for a bit?
Plagiocephaly - Flat spot on head
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Maybe I am over reacting??
but it's not out of the 'normal' range of bumpy IYKWIM. Her hair covers it now, and I can't feel anything 'odd' when i touch the back of her head so 
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