Flat head (plagiocephaly?)

[Sassysugar]

Since I moved to Denmark both the HV and the Doctor (who I saw this morning as babies over here have a 5 month check up) have both commented on C's head. It's starting to make me paranoid.

They said it's flat at the back and that I should be giving him lots of tummy time (which he hates but I do it 3 times a day for about 5 mins). Dr also said I should try and get him to lie on his side but he does this anyway as I feed lying down at night so his head kind of stays in that position iykwim. Through the day he isn't always on his back as I have him either sitting up on the sofa or sitting on my knee or in his bouncy activity centre etc.

Back in the UK it was never really mentioned to me, was just told he will be fine.

What else can I do? I will upload a pic later (he's asleep atm lying on back of his head ) so you can see if it's bad (though I have seen worse on a baby at a group I used to go to when I was in the UK) so that's why it never really bothered me, she wasn't doing anything to 'fix' it. She said there wasn't much you could do as they are going to lie on back of their heads.

Help, it's worrying me now as I don't want him to have odd shaped head. Dr also pointed out at it wouldn't do him any harm, it was just for asthetic reasons and obviously I don't want him growing up with flat head. She said that because he is big baby he is putting more weight on his head that a small baby would and also that his head his fusing quite quickly so only have a few more months to help correct it. This is all making his head sound really flat and up until this morning I didn't even think it was that bad agh

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[AugustMum]

I dont have any experience with this personally as it was always pointed out that my LO had a very round head lol. But I would always put my LO to bed with a rolled up blanket behind her so that she always lay on her side then alternated sides. I held her alot as well so it was rare for her to be lying on her back.

Tbh, Ive seen alot of babies with flat head and it always fixed itself. Their skulls are so soft that they just mold back once their sitting up. I can see your LO is almost 6 months now so it wont be long until he's sitting up a fait bit of the time and youll probably see a massive difference once that happens. I wouldnt be too worried hun Its very common.

 

[Sassysugar]

Thanks hun, yea hoping he'll be sitting up soon. I wasn't even worrying about it until both HV and dr mentioned it, but maybe they put more emphasis on it over here than in the uk.

I might try the rolled up blanket tonight, mw did that when I was in hospital after labour as he had swallowed merconium so had some mucus coming up.

 

[AugustMum]

My LO did that as well but noone told me to put her on her side. So when she coughed it all up, blood included, I paniced a fair bit lol. Midwives really should explain more!

Health professionals are all different I guess and like they said its only really about how it looks. Maybe they think it makes them look bad if theres loads of babies wondering around with none perfectly round heads!

 

[Princess81]

I'd have thought this would resolve itself when he's sitting up on his own. Have you thought about a bumbo that will leave his head free when he's sitting? X

 

[Sassysugar]

I've been using a bumbo round the house, if I'm in the kitchen I pop him in it so he can see what I'm doing but then HV here said not to use it too much as not good for his back as he sometimes slumps over a bit iykwim can't win with them over here......

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Es always had a flat head! Now she's older it's not as obvious, Cos het hair covers it! Out of interest, do they do the whole back2sleep thing over there? The reason I ask is, my doc said it's becoming more common for kids to have flat heads cos of the sleeping on their back thing, so it wasn't really something to worry about Cos other kids would have a flat head too

I'll go see if I can find a pic on my phone of hers when she was a baby! What I did was got a little memory foam pillow and had a mirror in her cot and alternated it's sides so she wasn't getting the pressure in the same place all yhe time!

 

[Maria1977]

Most the babies at Oscars baby group had flat heads! Oz never has done coz he didn't sleep on his back til around 6 months old, always on his sides!

 

[Sassysugar]

Yea, over here it's sleeping on back too. (though only been in denmark since Jan) But he's been on his back since birth. He wont sleep on his front, hates it. I was thinking about one of those pillows, will have a look online for one. Anything that helps. I had thought though at least with a girl their hair would cover it. Going to try him on his side tonight.

Here's a couple of pics sorry they're so big don't know how to make them smaller

 

[Maria1977]

His head looks fine hun, OMG seen loads flatter heads than that at Oz's baby group. his head looks perfectly normal!!

 

[Sassysugar]

Thanks Maria, I really appreciate you saying that

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Yea it looks normal to me too! I've got Es pillow still, could send it you, but I dint have a clue how much postage is over there, might be extortionate found some pics of E, I'll pop onto tapatalk now abd upload them!

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Here's some pics of E! I think she was about 5 months in these, poss a bit older!

 

[Lulu_Laroo]

Poppy has it quite bad! HV told me not to worry, it'll either go away on it's own now she's sitting up by herself, or we won't notice it when her hair grows :-/

 

[littlemiss83]

Kayden's got it quite bad too (i'll try & upload some pics)

My eldest LO had it, but it went away after she got to around 6 months or something.

Its worrying though isn't it. The fact that their skull is a funny shape

 

[Constantstar]

Owens looks very much like your pics x

 

[JJ Mum]

His head looks quite good to be honest, try not to worry, he is young enough for anything to correct itself when not laying down all the time.

Devon had flat head, but not at the back , (not very clear) picture shows it on the right of the screen (as your looking at him) angled on the back at the side! I felt awful as I hadn't realised , and the HV mentioned it at 3 mths! worked out it was due to when sleeping in our bed (coslept for most of the first year), and as we are short of space in our room due to cot, etc, we have our double bed against a wall one side, and so the only place a bedside lamp could go is down on the floor next to the other side. Devon used to love the light in the night when awake after feeds for 10-15 mins, but this was only one side!! even the main bedrom light was the same side..

So we brought the fisher price rainforest peekaboo jungle music lights thing for the side bars of the cot and placed it the other side to his dodgy head and it took about 4-5 months to correct, but at that age head still soft and can change. Once there was a angle on the back of his head , it automatcically fell that way every time, so hard to stop. My older kids were only allowed to play with devon on the floor calling him the other way!!

Might be worth you getting something for the cot, as Devon would fall asleep looking at the light show sideways and give his head a break

 

[Sassysugar]

Thanks for all your replies . MMGI thank you for your offer that's very kind. I've been looking online at the different pillows so going to go to big baby shop in town today and see if they have them. Postage wouldn't be too bad but would just take a while to get here lol

I was co-sleeping until last week, we are now in the transition of moving him to his cot. He is in a travel cot in our room and when he wakes for a feed I move him into my bed and feed and then move him back to the travel cot. After each feed I kept his head to the side and he slept like that last night, alternating sides each time. I also gave him more tummy time yesterday. Also can't be too much longer until he's sitting up on his own?

With him being a boy not sure how much hair would cover it? I will try and put another pic on later from side too.

 

[Sassysugar]

Here is a better side view

 

[Olive]

His head looks quite good to be honest, try not to worry, he is young enough for anything to correct itself when not laying down all the time.

Devon had flat head, but not at the back , (not very clear) picture shows it on the right of the screen (as your looking at him) angled on the back at the side! I felt awful as I hadn't realised , and the HV mentioned it at 3 mths! worked out it was due to when sleeping in our bed (coslept for most of the first year), and as we are short of space in our room due to cot, etc, we have our double bed against a wall one side, and so the only place a bedside lamp could go is down on the floor next to the other side. Devon used to love the light in the night when awake after feeds for 10-15 mins, but this was only one side!! even the main bedrom light was the same side..

So we brought the fisher price rainforest peekaboo jungle music lights thing for the side bars of the cot and placed it the other side to his dodgy head and it took about 4-5 months to correct, but at that age head still soft and can change. Once there was a angle on the back of his head , it automatcically fell that way every time, so hard to stop. My older kids were only allowed to play with devon on the floor calling him the other way!!

Might be worth you getting something for the cot, as Devon would fall asleep looking at the light show sideways and give his head a break

Glad I found this thread again. Just noticed that B's head is exactly like Devon's. He always sleeps one way and now it's angled it falls that way Am stressing a bit about it