Does your baby have a flat spot on the back of the head?

Question

My granddaughter has a flat spot on the back of her head and she is 3 mnths old and it is so hard to keep her lying on the right or left side..Has anyone used the baby halo?...serious answers only please.

Answer 1

Hi Fortunate Grandmother! I look forward to the day. My childrens doctor was and is the oldest living pediatrician in the world. She developed the whooping cough vaccine and will be turning 109 years old this Feb. Ironically, one of the first things she taught the parents of Atlanta was to place our babies, exclusively on their tummys. She has never in 70 years of practice had a Syds death. She taught us that the baby is born with 2 soft spots. The infants head is soft as to pass thru the birth canal. As the baby matures, the skull hardens. As per the Back to Sleep Campaign, the Atlanta Journal Constitution has run major articles showing that Egleston Hospital (leading childrens hosp. in the south) began to see a brand new phenomenon which is called the "Flat head sydrome" which is caused from infants lying on the backs. This caused the skull to flatten out and create a wide space between a childs eyes making them have an unusual look as well as an unusual shaped head, not seen before in history. Egleston says that they are doing surgery and putting helmets on infants to "correct this problem". I did extensive study on this and found with information given from the Syds Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics that there is still no explained reason why infants hearts simply stop beating. Their own conclusion could not and did not support that placing a baby on it back has stopped the incidence of Syds. Common sense tells us that infants often spit up. When lying on his back, the drunk man breathes back his own vomit into his lungs and dies. Common sense also shows us that when the body is prone, the organs "hang" loose when resting and actually perform better. This is a case where we have to use our own common sense, and remember that doctors are still practicing. Recommendations change about every 10 years and they flow with the ocean. Fortunately for my family, I had a doctors experience of over 70 years and my own study to prove to me that I should place my infants on their tummy. :) Teach your daughter to listen to everyone, but be smart, use common sense and make up her own mind. She'll know whats right. Happy Grandmothering! [e-mail]

Answer 2

It's called Plagiocephaly and it's incidence rate has gone up significantly since babies are sleeping on their backs. Not to mention all the swings, bouncies etc. that they lay in most of the day. My son developed a flat spot on the back right of his head. I noticed that he always laid on that side and I started to get worried. The Dr. told me it would round out and to do more "tummy time." I waited until 8 months old, keeping him off that side as much as possible, but it still didn't improve. I finally went to Cranial Technologies and had him fitted for a helmet that he wore for 3 months! I saw a HUGE improvement! He's 19 months now and still has a bit of flatness but he looks great!

You need to tell her parents that your granddaughter needs a lot more tummy time-usually, if they are so young, just keeping them off their backs for most of the day will do the trick. I did use the halo and memory foam when I was trying to correct it, but they didn't work. The only thing that will is more tummy time. I hope this helps! You can email me if you have any questions about it...for a few months, it's all we talked about! Good luck!

Answer 3

Over the last several years, the "Back to Sleep" campaign has saved no telling how many babys' lives. It's also resulted in a lot of babies spending too much time on their back, so flat heads are pretty common these days (according to my niece's pediatrician).

My neice absolutely refused to play on her tummy, she was always on her back. By her first birthday, the child had one seriously flat head. She ended up having a special helmet designed to round out her head, and it worked. She wore it for about 6 months, 23 hours a day. I guess to outsiders it looked funny (my sister was often asked at the supermarket, "what's wrong with your baby's head?" by insensitive people), but she's absolutely beautiful then and now, and she is 1 1/2 years old and doesn't need it anymore.

Since this is early on, if your baby won't stay on his or her side or tummy, try taking a Boppy and lay a blanket over it. Lay the baby on her tummy where her upper portion is propped up, with toys to play with and an adult laying on their tummy or back so the baby can play with the adult, too.

It worked for my kids.

Answer 4

Yes, actually my son and my niece both had that flat spot from laying the same way all the time, but they do outgrow it!! I've nevr heard of the halo though, I wouldn't think you'd need it. Their bodies are changing so fast at that age, it's not really worth it. Her head will go back to the right shape!! Don't stress about it too much. And if you're still worried after these answers, call the doctor, and he can reassure you.

Answer 5

I had a flat, soft spot on the back of my head when I was a baby and the doctors told my parents I might be mentally handicapped. Well, I'm not. Anyway, it turned out just to be the way my head was shaped and nothing more. So I woulndn't worry. I don't think a three month old should lie on her side anyway. They're supposed to lie flat on thier back unless they roll themselves over.

Answer 6

Coming from my experience as a mother. The reason why the baby has a flat head in the back is because she lies down to much, also a hat around the head should help form the babies head round.

Answer 7

My daughter does have this. She is now four years old and it never went away. I think it is from not holding her enough, but the doctors just said it happens to some babys. (I am always concerened that it was my fault.) I would suggest talking to the pediatrician and seeing what they say. If it would help, then it is well worth using it, no matter how hard!! It is much harder to make pigtails when they are older, when there is a wired flat spot.

Answer 8

A flat spot on the back of a baby's head is a result of the baby lying on her back too much. Try picking her up, putting her in swings, lying her on the floor on a playmat, something other than leaving her in her bed all the time. If she won't lay on her side than put her in one of those foam u-shaped things. They go in her bed and they keep her on her side.

Answer 9

The baby's head is flat because she lays the same way all of the time. However putting her on her tummy is an absolute no no because of SIDS. Have never heard of a baby halo.

Answer 10

To get rid of this you have to lay the baby on her stomach for a while each day to take the pressure off the back of the head, another suggestion is to gently rub the head in a circular motion a couple of times a day. I did this to both of my children and they have nice shaped heads...