Baby with Flat / indented back of head

Hi Girls,

this is my first time posting !. I have been on the net trying to find out if anyone has written anything on children that not only have a flat head ( which Drs say is from sleeping on their back), but also a obvious indent at the back of the head. I have noticed that her she tends to favour leaning to her right side which is also the flat side of her head.

I have moved her cot ...turn her on her side and go in there every hour until I go to bed at night when I move her back onto her back.

We have been to Neurosurgeon and he is keeping an eye on it. I am just trying to see if anyone else has experianced this and what they have done.

My princess is only 4 months old so hopefully it will sort itself out . I am more worried about the indent!. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Cass

Hi Cass! Welcome to Belly Belly. I can't answer your question, just wanted to welcome you :)

I have heard before tho that babies can get flat spots on their heads from lying in one position, and if you alternate which way their head is every few nights it helps (helps with the hair rubbing off too apparently).

I'm sure someone here will have an answer for you. Hope everything else is well with you and your bub :)

Hi Cass

You are doing all the right things for the flat spot.
Babies heads are quite soft, the indent cauld have been caused at birth. Usually this sort of problem resolves is self in time and I expect that is what your Neurosurgeon is expecting.

Oh Cass my DS had the most flatest head i had ever seen when he was little- now he has a lovely slightly indented head that is round- almost.

It does go with age.

I hope this helps :)

Hi Cass,

I have had the exact same problem with Hunter. As Alan said, you are doing everything right to remedy the problem. In addition to changing the cot also (you are probably doing this) 'speak' to her from the side she least favors & hold her on the side of you that she is reluctant to use (this will automatically force her to turn that way) & during tummy time place all her toys on the least favoured side.

With regard to the 'flat spot' it is also worth remembering that very few of us have perfectly rounded heads as adults. Hunter has exactly the same flat spot in exactly the same place as DH. It isn't really noticable & will become less so as his hair thickens up..... perfectly symetrical faces are for super models & most of us have a slightly more prominent side but it isn't an obvious thing.

I hope you feel better about this soon :p

Hi Cass,

Welcome to BB. My DS also had a flat head when he was a baby. No matter how many times I put him on his side he always seemed to roll back onto his back.

Now his 3 his head has become a little rounder at the back. Once thier hair grows it does become less noticable.

You could try going to a paediatric physio. My friends baby had the same problem. She had one side of the neck with tighter muscles (due to her position in the uterus) that's why she favoured sleeping on one side and not the other developing a flat head. My friend was referred to the physio by her child health nurse and it cost nothing. She was given a set of exercises which fixed the problem very quickly.

Both her GP and Paed just dismissed the problem but the physio actually fixed it.

Hello Cass,
I have exactly the same worries as you, as Jack has quite a flat head at the back and it feels a bit indented, come to think of it. I was always sleeping him on his back due the MCHN insisting about it due to sids, but talking to my friends who are mums and have been for a while, I decided to sleep him on his side and alternate him between both sides and his back.

I also bought a safe & sound sleeper which prevents him from rolling onto his tummy or back.

And his head seems to be not as flat as before, adn the indent seems less too.

Hope this helps.. :hug:

Thank you so much for all your responses!. I am sure you all know once you start to worry about your little darlings it is hard not to spend all day and night worrying and thinking about it!.

I will continue to try and encourage tummy time , placing toys on her left side and keeping her on her side during day cat naps and until I go to bed at night ( as she sleeps through the night which is always nice - so always place her on her back just in case as it is her deep sleep).

I would love to try physio for her as I do notice she favours and is able to turn her head easier to the right then left ...so I think Physio may help. If anyone has used a good Physio in Sydney I would appreciate their details ..or a Chiropractor as I hear they can also help with massage.

I am just trying to see if I can stop the flattening /indent or even improve it before our next neurosurgeon appointment as he said he may to Xray or Scan or suggest a helmet...so I am trying everything before we have to get to that stage .

Thanks so much ...I will be a regular on this site now!.

Cass

Hi Cass,

I'm not sure where in Sydney you are. I'm on the Northern Beaches & have a fantastic recommendation for a chiro in Balgowlah. He took care of me all through my pregnancy & has done a lot of work with new borns. He is a true, compassionate, down to earth professional.

I'm not sure if I am allowed to post his details here though. If his details are of interest to you please email me.

Cass I'm glad you have now got some answers.

I just wanted to come & say welcome!! :flower:

Hi Cass,

Welcome to Bellybelly!

Just wanted to add that I had the same problem with flatness on the side of James' head. Like Alex&Jack, I have started sleeping him on his side, always his left side, and the flatness now seems to be evening out.

At my mother's group the other week all the babies were lying in a circle heads in the middle, and EVERY ONE of the was looking to his/her right! It was funny. So I think its pretty common for them to prefer their right side!

Good luck with the physio.

Love Pearl

Hi Cass,
Are you breast or bottle feeding? If breast feeding no doubt you are holding bub on either side of you body to feed, but I have heard that bottle fed babies should also be fed in either arm alternating the sides of their brains being used & therefore to not encourage laying one way?

It might help???

I am bottle feeding and up until about 2 weeks ago I was feeding her so that her head was resting on her flat side ( just my favoured side) . This was mostly because Kaitlyns Ped said that flat spots cant be caused by the way babies sleep as their skulls are not that soft...so I was not worried about it.

However after seeing the Neurosurgen I have started feed her on the other side.

Thank you all so much for all your suggestions ..I really appreciate any information and help.

Cass

:-)

Hi,

I had the same problem with Ashleigh, One section of her head is flat and the paedaetrician says it is because she is favouring one side and the neck is tight. We are seeing a physio who is working on it at the moment.

Michele
Mother of Christopher, Luke, Melissa, Jayden and Ashleigh(9 weeks)