4 Month Old with a Flat Head

Hi, I know you've gotten a lot of responses, but just wanted to add my 2 cents...

My son had the same thing when he was a baby (he's now 5). We opted to NOT have him wear the cranial cap. Now, I wish that we had. It's not noticable just looking at him, but brushing his hair, etc, you can feel it. Also, I worry about when he's older, if he loses his hair, you'd be able to tell?? I think we made a mistake on that one. :(

(I have a friend who told me that he could just get a tatoo on the side of his head if that's the case...) ;-D

My daughter had the same problem, when the doctor told me she needed a helmet I decided to get a second opinion. I didn't think a helmet would be very comfortable and I really did not want to put her through that. I noticed it when she was about 5 or 6 months old, by the time she was a year it had corrected itself. If the specialist determines she does need a helmet I would definatly advise a second opinion before you make a decision!!!!

My son had a flat spot too. We waited until he was 8 months to see if it would round out on its own (with repositioning etc.) It didn't get any worse, but it didn't round out either so we just got him a helmet. In hindsight, I'd recommend getting the helmet now because your daughter's head grows very quickly in these early months and the helmet works based on the rate of a child's head growth. She'll get used to the helmet pretty quickly - it doesn't bother my son much at all. My only other advice is to clean it with a solution of baking soda and water - that takes any smell right out of it (it can start to smell like a sweaty sock because of how often they wear it).

Hope that helps.
B.

My daughter and my foster son both had gotten flat heads. My daughter because she was special needs and didn't like ever being held and my foster son because of neglect and being left on his back for his first 2 months. Both of them have bounced right back. My daughter is 2 1/2 and is fine and my foster son is 7 months old and his is almost normal looking. I would worry about it just yet. Try and do whatever you can to keep her off of her head. Get her an exersaucer, she's just the right age for it and try and keep her on her feet when she isn't eating, being held or having tummy time. You can also get a wedge thingy and try to prop her on her side a little when she is sleeping. The extra pressure on the side will help a lot. I wouldn't worry until she is about 8 or 9 months old.
Best wishes,
J.

Hi J.,
I have another suggestion for you. A craniosacral specialist can fix the flat head problem without a helmet. I take my girls to Angel Phillips in Minneapolis. Her phone number is###-###-####.

My Uncles son had to wear one I'm not sure for how long though. If I remember correctly it was no longer than six months.

J.,
My now 3 year old had a bit of a flat head. I took him to a specialist and he said that it would fix itself. I mixed up the way I held him when he was fed and just held in general. I also limited car and stroller use as much as possible - I used my Baby Bjorn ALL the time instead of the stoller (when possible). I got a pillow made by Boppy from One Step Ahead (I think they still carry it) to put in his stroller and car seat (it has a hole where the back of the head hits the pillow). I didn't take him to the specialist until 9 months, so we were in much worse shape than you. You have time and develpoment on your side. I will say that even without the helmet, it fixed itself, just with some simple adjustments on my part. The head stops it's rapid growth at about 2 years old from what I remember so you have lots of time to "work on it". Good luck!

Thats bullcrap.I went to childrens hospital and no such thing was needed. however we did other therapy. my email is ____@____.com

That's crazy, I've never heard of any baby wearing a scull cap! Sounds ridiculous if you ask me! I know that babies heads will start to look flat in the back if they are on their backs a lot. I would start sitting your baby up in the corner of the couch with lots of pillows around him to support him or lay him on a boppie pillow with toys out in front of him so he is not always laying on the back of his head. I used a boppie pillow for both of my kids, more with my first one. They are one of the best things you can buy for your little ones and in helping teach them to strenthen their neck muscles.

good luck and let me know what happens,

K.

J.,
I usually don't respond to these inquiries, and wish there was more of a blog format so all of us parents could learn from others, but this was one I had to respond to.

This is a very serious issue. Do not take it lightly, depending on how flat her head is it could cause serious implications in her future. My preemie daughter had early signs of this since she was a preemie she slept on her back and took longer for her to hold her head up or roll over than others. Luckily we took early preventive steps including having her sleep on her stomach for her naps when I could watch her. We never allowed her to lay on her back when she was awake, she was sitting or propped up. I have a friend whose son had a more severe case and wore the band. His face started to develop out of proportion. His ears weren't even, his eyes even started to be unaligned due to how his head was forming. He would have had a misshapen head and unaligned features his whole life if they did not act quickly and take it seriously.

I share these things not to scare you, but to be aware that you don't want to brush this off. See a specialist and feel comfortable with their recommendations or see someone else. This could have life-long effects for your precious daughter.

This is the site that I was initially referred to that gave me a lot of insights. http://www.cranialtech.com or you can search google for more information.

Good luck!

We had the same thing happen when our son was about the same age. He's now 3 years old, so please keep in mind that my information may be a bit out-dated.

We went to the specialist recommended by out pediatrician and were shocked to discover that the specialist wasnt' a doctor at all, but rather worked for the company that makes and sells the helmet- asking the specialist if our son needed a helmet felt a lot like asking a siding salesman if the house needs siding.

When we asked the specialist how they measured "normal" versus too flat heads in babies, it turned out that the numbers they were using predated the campaign to have babies sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS. So the measurements were out-dated and probably no longer representative of the current norm. We also found out that the helmets must be worn for 23 hours a day, every day, for several months.

Another issue regarding the helmets was that they cost several thousands of dollars and aren't covered by insurance, as they're considered to be experimental. Money is not, of course, the primary concern when it comes to our son's health, but it's something to be aware of, regardless.

Sometimes the flat spots are caused by a tightening of neck muscles that forces the baby to position their head in a specific way- meaning that the same spot is always pressing down on the matress. If this is the case, then physical therapy can address the neck muscle issues and alleviate the problem. This wasn't the case with our son- I just gave up house work et cetera for a month or two and had him sleep on his stomach, on me for naps (the Baby Bjorn was great for this) and kept him up or on his belly during waking hours, i.e. very minimal time laying on the back of his head. His head looks much the same as any other kid his age now, so we're glad that we made the choice that we did.

Hope that this helps!

M.

Yes go to a Specialist! Our Doctor finally broke down and told us to go to a specialist but it was to late! He was almost a yr old. Our doctor just recommended we alternate sleeping position through the night that meant getting up every 2 hours to switch him around and also molding his head during the daytime when we could. That did not work. He is 12 now and his head still has a flat part in the back and we just have to be sure he gets the proper haircut and you do not even notice. But I do wish I would have gone to a specialist. Good Luck F.

My daughter, who is now 7 was diagnosed with (I will spell this wrong, I promise) craniostynosis when she was about your daughter's age. And we are military so there were no hidden agendas with this diagnosis. We took her in for a cat scan when she was about 8 months and were told that it was possible that two of the plates in her skull where fusing together too soon and that if it continued then it could cause pressure on the brain and major problems from there. However, the plan at that time was to just moniter things and see what happened and that surgery might be required and that the helmet could be used just as a COSMETIC adjustment. We watched how things went and we were very lucky because the premature fusing did not happen, however Mikayla's skull is a little flat on her upper left side. We decided to go against the helmet because we thought it could be tramatizing to her with the stares and questions and pointing and so forth. Money was not the issue because it would have been free for us. And I am so glad that we did because unless her hair is really wet and flat against her head, you would never know now. And really I think the only reason why I notice it is because I know there is a flat spot.
So my advice to you is to check with your doctor (or even get a second opinion if you can) and make sure that there are no medical issues at hand and then really think about how severe it is and if it is worth it. I wish you the best of luck with your decision, I know how hard it is.
Good Luck!
L.

My son had this same problem and did not get the helmet. All we did was buy a cushion for him so that he stayed on the other side of his head so it evened out. However, I would say if your insurance pays for it I have heard marvelous results from the helmet. My husbands boss at his work has a son who got the helmet and it worked wonders for him. We chose not to only because his head was not so severe. Honestly, from the few people we know used it, this worked wonders. But be prepared for some tears as I know mothers have felt sorry for their children who have worn this.

Good Luck and take Care
Liz
mother of 2 1/2 yr old

My nephew had a flat head as an infant. It was from laying on his back so much, is what was said to my sister. She started sleeping him on his side and spending more tummy-time with him throughout the day. She also started using a baby head pillow (she bought on ebay, which apparently are really popular in Japan) when she slept him back and used one of those head supports (those pads with a center hole to keep their head in place) when she toted him in his car seat. He is 2 now and his head is perfectly fine, but your child's may be worse than his (I can't imagine in being worse though--his was really flat!) Is your doctor recommending the helmet because he thinks that's what you should do, or just recommending it as an option?
I took those same precausions with my little girl and never got a flat head, but she didn't manage to escape a big bald spot on the back of her head :o)!

J.,

My son wore one of the craniocaps. He's 10 months now. He had a pretty sever flat spot on the right side of his head - called- "plagiocephaly"- and it's pretty much gone now. There is a little more to do, he outgrew his helmet and his therepist said we could go up a size, but she was happy with the result we got from the first helmet and that his head would continue to move until he was about 3, so what was left most likely will fix it's self.

I would suggest going to the specialist, just to see their evaluation and get all the information you can to make your decision.

It's just an evaluation and it might make you feel better that you just looked at options.Even if you decide not to have the cap. The specialist will tell you if it's a severe flat spot or a mild one. He'll give his suggestion, but if he/she's a good doctor, he'll leave the decision up to you. Most insurances will cover the helmet if the doctor sees a need for one. You can call your insurance ahead of time to get information on their coverage.

Here's a link to our family webpage...you can click on the pictures at the bottom and it will bring up the picture larger...the one with the cap is my son and this was midway through his cap....he really didn't mind it.
If it doesn't come through clickable, just copy paste in your broser.

http://stenzeltree.com/filmstrip.asp?picts=2006/cousins/0...

In our case, our son's spot was severly flat and we decided to get the helmet. It was the right decision for us, but you'll have to decide for yourself. My son started at 6 months. Their heads are really plyable at their young age. We noticed a change with in the first couple of weeks. He had a sever flattening of the side and he only had to wear it for 2 months. I was worried people would stare at him, but mostly no one said anything. Many people actually thought it was cute. Other kids really thought the helmet was cool when they saw it. Occasionally someone asked what happened and I just told them.."We're just rounding him out". We decided to use the cap, because of the level of severity the doctor thought it was. From the front you almost couldn't tell the flat spot, but from the side and back it was very obvious. Also, because of the severity, one side of his head was pushing forward. We ultimately decided to go with it, because from what we were hearing, it might have fixed itself, but not all the way and our son has such a good disposition. We were afraid if it didn't fix itself all the way, he'd be treated differently and it might affect him in some way.

There's a short period where you get your child used to wearing the helmet. Then you try a nap in it. Then you try sleeping all night....I can't remember, but I think it's about a week or week and a half starter time. Then you have them wear it for about 23 hours a day, with a half hour off every 4 - 5 hours.

It's kind of neat. When we finished, we got to keep the helmet and they offered to let us have the original mold they used to make the helmet, which we took. We have it now in a box to show Vincent when he's older. It's really neat to see how it was and how it is all at once.

The doctor we saw was Dr. Wood at Gilletts Children's Hospital. He was pretty straight forward with us. He said a lot of the flat spots he sees aren't too bad, but our son's was very sever. He said we could opt out of the helmet, but he wasn't sure if it woud pop out on it's own. He left my husband and I to talk and let us tell him when we were ready for him to come back and give him our decision.

This all depends on just how flat your babies head has become. If it's terribly flat, then I believe that helmets do help, but I don't know much more about them. Hopefully someone else can help with the area.

However, it your babies head is just a little flat (again you and your Doctor are the judge), then you need to stop putting your baby on her back right away. I'm assuming that's the position you've had your baby sleeping? You need to move her onto to her sides and keep that rotation going for several weeks (until you see the flatness go away). My daughters had very slight flatness b/c I caught it right away, and it comes from laying in the same position repeatedly. So I would lay my girls on their sides with a rolled up bath towel behind them and another in front of them. (I also believe that BabiesrUs makes a pad in which you can lay your baby on her side and they won't roll over, but for me a rolled up bath towel did the trick and neither girl would be able to roll over. You kind of just got to wedge it up against them when they are laying down. Make sense?? You can also lay your babies back against the crib wall and then you only need one bath towel rolled up and wedged underneath her. Also make sure to keep switching her sides otherwise the sides of her head might get flat too. But this does work. And within approx 4-5 weeks it was all gone and everything looked normal. No problems.

I wish you the best of luck.

Hi J.,
My friend had this with her little girl. Maddie had a helmet for about 3 months and it totally fixed the problem.
Good luck!

Hi J.,
I have a son with a flat head. What he has is called Plagiocephaly. I noticed his flat spot when he was very young (he'll be 10 months next week) and pointed it out to his doctor at his 4 month check up and they told me nothing. At his 6 month check up they finally told me to take him to a clinic they had at Children's in Minneapolis. That's where he was diagnosed. He now wears a helmet 23 hours a day 7 days a week. He gets it off for about 15 minutes at breakfast and lunch and about half an hour in the evening. He doesn't mind it at all. He's had it on for almost 8 weeks and unfortunately there hasn't been much of a change. The only reason that there hasn't been much of a change is because he isn't growing. He was born 5 weeks premature so he's a little guy and grows very very slowly. I believe 100% that it would be working so much faster if he would just grow. One thing to find out before you make your decision is if your insurance will cover the treatment. Ours originally would not cover it. We and our orthotist had to fight with Blue Cross Blue Shield over the treatment. A lot of times it is considered to be cosmetic. I would definitely take your daughter in for a consult. The younger you can start it the better you will be. If you have any other questions please feel free to let me know. There is a great website with some information about this as well. http://www.cappskids.org/ My son's helmet is a Starband from OrthoAmerica. Their website it good too. http://www.orthomerica.com/products/cranial/starband.htm

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
M. H.

My little guy also had plagiocephaly (flat spot) on the right side of his head. (We spent plenty of time holding him, giving him tummy time, etc.) He had a shortened neck muscle (called torticollis) and always turned to his right and as a result, flattened out the right side of the back of his head.

We started physical therapy for the torticollis at 4 months and got a cranio cap for the flattened head. The cap was ready for him just before he was 6 months old.

The cranio cap was purely for cosmetic reasons so we struggled with the decision to do it or not. We are very glad we decided to do it. It wasn't a big deal at all...8 weeks and a drastic improvement.

His head is perfectly shaped. The physical therapy lasted about 4 months and now he has a full range of motion.

He wore the cap 23 hours/day. He didn't mind it a bit. He didn't like us taking it off/putting it on but once it was on, he was fine. We saw Dr. Wood and then John Valeri and Dwight Johnson at Children's West for the cap. We couldn't have been happier. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have...e mail me if you'd like! ____@____.com
Our insurance covered 100% of the cranio cap and the physical therapy - we didn't even have to pay a copay.

Hi J.,

We had our son fitted for a helmet at 4 months (due to flat head) and he wore it til about 6-7 months old...I thought he should wear it longer but the Dr's said it was ok...still a little flat, but it definetly helped...and if a Dr recommended it I would try it. I think we paid about $300 and insurance covered the rest, to us it was worth it. My daughter had a flat angled head and I wish we would have done it for her...hers has rounded out some, but we still notice the flatness in the back. The kids do fine with the helmet, the worst part is when they are fitted for it (the mold) I actually had my husband sit in for that and I was in the waiting room (on the internet)...otherwise it was a piece of cake and the people we dealt with were wonderful (Dr's,nurses, specialist) We went to St Paul and I can get more specific info if you like (Dr's etc..) it was really an easy experience for us.

J.
Mother of a 3year old girl and a 1year old boy.

Another suggestion I have heard is trying to hold your baby more, spend less time in the car seat, swing, etc. Is she holding her head up well? During the day, tummy time helps (and is important) as is supported sit up time, we used a boppy alot to support my son in a sitting position at that age.