Our infant is 4mo old and we need to "shape" his head to make it rounder. It isn't too late is it?

Question

I work in a WIC office as a nutritionist and have never really took notice to the shape of my 4mo infant's skull. At his doctor's appointment yesterday the nurse practitioner said that we should have him sleep on the other side because the one back side was getting a bit flat due to him laying on it all the time. I was at first worried that it could affect his brain development but was assured that the fluid surrounding his brain would stop it from getting "crowded out" and that it has enough space inside his skull. Still, I would like to help him have a normal shaped head and have been told by my co-workers that they have done a safe exercise on their babies where they would "mold" their baby's skull by gently rounding their hands over the back of his skull (avoiding the soft spot of course) every day. Anyone have any experience with this? or anything else that helps round things out a bit? Thanks and God Bless!!

Answer 1

I'm a nutritionist too! Worked with USDA and food stamps, now I teach. Anyway - that happened to my son at the 4 mo appt, and the doc said the same thing - just make a point to alternate which direction his head goes when sleeping. Our son was flat from looking left so after he was asleep we moved his head to right. Also, you can elevate the crib mattress to a 15 deg angle. The downward pressure on the back of the skull is much less that way. We never ended up doing that, just changing positions, and his head is PERFECTION now!!! PS our doc said don't use the pillows they sell for head shape b/c of SIDS risk.

Answer 2

Personally i cant see how these excerises the way you described could have any appreciable affect on the shape of a childs head. I mean your son has a flat spot due to him lying on one side for how many hours a day for 4 months. Unless you do the excercises for more hours a day than the baby sleeps it wont do anything. My 3 year old would only sleep flat on his back for the first year so his flat spot was fairly obvious but as soon as he started rolling around in his sleep it rounded out. You cant even notice it any more at all. Your child will have a normal shape head but if your really worried just change sides he sleeps on.

Answer 3

My friend's son actually had a really bad case of "flat head" from sleeping on the same side in his crib every night. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get him to sleep on the other side. She ended up going to a pediatrician to have a little helmet made for him and he wore it 22 hours a day for 1month. Although this isn't the most ideal solution, it really worked for him and he is now 4 years old and you can't tell at all.

My daughter is 5 months old and every night I put her to bed on the opposite side of the crib that I put her on the night before as she tends to look towards the door when she falls asleep.

I have never heard of the "molding" but I would check with the dr to make sure it is really safe. Good luck.

Answer 4

I would ask your baby's peditrictian to do the molding of the skull. Although it's not a dangerous thing, I'm sure your doctor would know how to do it best. What helped my daughter (I never molded her skull) is to let the sleep on their back at night (it's safest afterall) but during the day try to keep him on his belly as much as possible, or have it in a sitting positon in maybe a boppy or a bumbie (I THINK that's the name) chair. Their skull isn't usually set in place until they're about 2, so you still have time.

Answer 5

Had the exact same problem with my son. We noticed around 3 mos that from always sleeping on his left side that his head was flat. We put him on his right side for 2 weeks and then began alternating sleeping sides every other week and his head turned out just fine.

Just sleep him on the other side for a few weeks and then alternate sides. Soon he will be all over the place in the crib and it won't matter anymore.

Answer 6

My son had a sever mis shapenness of his head. Happliy they said it wouldn't effect brain development. He started at about 6 months wearing a Helmet that was used to shape his head..He wore it for about 2 1/2 months. It didn't bother him at all. You go in every so often to have the helmet "adjusted" and when you're done his head is just fine. It's important to note that we chose the helmet, because the specialist said his head was misshaped to the fact that it may not "pop out" on it's own. Most likely my son's head was misshaped interuterin, due to him being croweded in because I have a bicornut uterus. It wasn't noticed right away because of his "cone-head" from natural birth.

I have never heard of baby shaping exercizes.

I felt bad taht we had to get a helmet, but it was not a big deal really. people didn't stare like I thought they would and it really helped.

Answer 7

The best thing to do is just alternate your baby's sleeping position so he isn't always laying on the same spot on his head. You can lay him on his stomach during the day (when he is awake) and play with him that way. Try putting him on one side one night and the opposite side the next night. I've never seen a child whose head stayed flat on one side. Don't worry about it, as he gets older it will correct itself.

Answer 8

Sounds like he's laying on his back too much. My babies slept on their backs only at night.
During that day they would sleep partially reclined in a swing or baby carrier, strapped in for safety. This reduces the pressure on the back of the skull, and they liked it just fine in the sitting position. You can put a headrest thingy around them too to support their heads in that position.
try that...it should help

Answer 9

Alternating your childs sleeping position..this may or may not work. I have 4 children and be rest assured that your childs head will NOT stay flat on one side forever. He/she's head will eventually round as they get older and move around while sleeping.

Answer 10

i dont suggest trying to mold your babys head....

like everyone else said above, try alternating which way he lays his head when sleeping....when he is not sleeping, try to have him off of his back as much a possible (using a boppy, or a bebe pod, or a tummytime playmat can help)

if he has an extreme case of flat head, he can be fitted with a special helmet that will help shape his head...but i warn you, they are very costly....my friends daughter had to wear one for 12 weeks (22 hours a day) and it cost them almost $3000 for it!!!!