Babies who begin to develop a flat head typically have flatness on the back or side of their head. The most common types of flat head syndrome are plagiocephaly and brachycephaly . Because the bones in the baby’s head are still soft, shape change is possible, and any flatness that occurs can be reversed to some degree. This flatness may develop in babies with flat heads for various reasons . Over the years, the number of babies developing flat head syndrome has increased, and now 1 in 25 babies is affected.
The recommendation to place the baby on their back to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDs) is still incredibly important and should always be followed. However, placing babies on their backs for long periods of time, day and night, can be a cause of flat head development in babies and can be an undesirable side effect of this positioning. To prevent your baby’s head from becoming severely flattened, follow this informative guide and learn the best ways to prevent and treat flat head syndrome.
Simple Ways to Prevent and Treat Flat Head
- Change the baby’s head position in the crib
Something as simple as repositioning your baby can make a difference in preventing flat head syndrome. Flat-headed babies tend to spend a lot of time pressing on the same part of their head. It is important to know that babies should always be placed on their back while sleeping, but parents can still encourage their baby to turn their head to different parts of the body.
For example, you can help determine which part of your baby’s head will lie on by changing the position of the toys hanging above your baby’s crib. Additionally, changing your baby’s orientation in the crib can help prevent flat head syndrome. For more advice on how to prevent plagiocephaly with repositioning, be sure to check out our repositioning guide .
- Spending plenty of tummy time throughout the day
While laying baby on his back is important for sleep, supervised tummy time rests your baby’s head while encouraging the development of important muscles in his neck and shoulders. Read our tummy time guide for tips on how to make it fun for your baby. Make these activities a habit.
- Alternative feeding position
When researching how to prevent plagiocephaly in babies, many parents may not realize the impact simple changes can have. One of these changes is to change breastfeeding positions so that you do not always hold your baby in the same arm, especially when bottle feeding. This will prevent your little one from leaning against you on the same area of their head. You can already do this naturally, but this simple repositioning method is a great technique to help prevent babies from developing flat heads.
- Cuddle your baby and limit time in car seats
As a result, the more time a baby spends lying on his back or in a car seat/crib, the more likely his head will become flat. To prevent this, we recommend that you consciously reduce the time your baby is under pressure with his head on the ground by taking him in your arms or using an apparatus such as a baby carrier or sling instead of keeping him lying down all the time.
Additionally, as soon as the ride is over, remove your little one from the car seat to relieve any external pressure on their head. Car seat manufacturers recommend that a baby not remain in the seat for more than 1.5 to 2 hours without a break.
- Cranial helmet treatment
Despite current prevention techniques, flat head syndrome can still develop. In severe cases, flat-headed babies may require further treatment. If repositioning techniques fail, our CranioWell clinicians evaluate the severity of a baby’s head flattening and decide whether a cranial helmet is necessary to correct it. However, this is only recommended when repositioning techniques have failed and the condition is considered serious but treatable.
Activities and attitudes used to improve babies with flat heads sometimes fail to improve the condition. For children who develop flat head syndrome, helmets not only prevent flat head syndrome from worsening, but also improve the condition of babies with flat head syndrome. The helmet directs the natural growth of the baby’s head into a head shape that is considered more normal. These helmets are an advanced cranial reshaping treatment and provide gentle correction of a head shape in a painless and effective way. Our helmet, CranioWell, is specially made for every baby and head shape.
We hope these techniques help you understand how to prevent flat head, and in most cases, repositioning and tummy time can be successful. For babies whose flattening continues or increases despite serious straightening and/or repositioning techniques, we recommend that you make an appointment with a cranial treatment center or relevant doctor’s clinic. Clinicians will advise you on whether your little one might benefit from a cranial helmet.