my baby has an abnormal head shape is their any thing you can do for this on the nhs?

Answer 1

Are you referring to the flat spot on the back of his/her head?? That is totally normal because all they do is lay on their backs. When they get older and start rolling around and sitting up they shape will get more rounded and "normal". If you are speaking of some other abnormality, that question is for you pediatrician.

Answer 2

it depends how old baby is. My daughter was a ventous delivery and had a distorted skull for around 3 weeks afterwards which settled down naturally. Some children have conditions which can easily be identified by a health visitor or GP. My son had a bulge in the middle of his forehead for a while and as soon as I mentioned it we were sent off to see a specialist - it turned out to be a pad of fat but looked like a very early indicator of a fused skull. The nhs will do anything medically appropriate for children. If baby has inherited an unusual head shape through genetics then there is nothing they can do.
Good luck x

Answer 3

My son had this same condition, it is called plagiocephally. He should be evaluated... your ped. can make the proper referrals. Depending on the severity, they may recommend a helmet to reshape the head.
Word to the wise though- it is extremely difficult to get insurance to pay for the helmets and getting approval can be a long and arduous process. Once you have a helmet, it doesn't get any easier. The apparatus must be worn 23 hours a day and refitted and adjusted quite often.

Hopefully, I will save you some time and heartache here.

This is what my son's neurologist told me.

A helmet does nothing more than reposition the head to alleviate pressure on the flat spot. This can be done without the helmet by implementing lots of tummy and sitting time and utilizing rolled receiving blankets to prevent the child from lying on that spot. If you do these things a helmet is not necessary.

My son is almost 11 months old, I opted not to get the helmet, I did what the doctor told me to and his head looks just fine now.

Have a specialist take measurements of his head, but do it as soon as possible. he older the child gets the harder it is correct.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Some good answers here. The first thing is to rule out premature closure of one of the cranial sutures. Your pediatrician or home health care worker may recommend further studies. In the old days we just took an x-ray. Nowadays they want a CT scan and that gets expensive.

As previously stated, most deformities are positional, that is, the infant lies on its back for long periods, causing the flattening. Since most mothers are right hand, and since most cribs are positioned against the wall with the head on the left, infants placed in the crib have a strong tendency to look to their right where there is movement, light and noise, rather than stare at a blank wall on the left. Hence, it is the right side of the head where most flattening occurs.

So, alternate putting the infant's head at the head end and at the foot end of the crib. That way the baby will be stimulated to look to the left on alternate days.

This works best as a preventative measure, but is effective in treatment of milder cases, too. I have never been a big fan of helmets, either.

Answer 5

Your gp/health visitor/midwife should all be able to examine, appropriately investigate and manage abnormal head shapes. If your baby has simple plagiocephally this is a benign condition which will improve as your baby gets older. Encouraging your baby to sleep on it's other side, by placing toys where it can see them or turning the cot so the window is on the other side will help.

Treatments such as helmets do not have good evidence behind them, and are a complete rip off!! They are not usually available on the NHS as they are a waste of taxpayers money.

Answer 6

Hmmm, I might get a second opinion on the matter. I know of other babies with similar problems but were told their heads would eventually grow into a normal shape. I've never heard of them having to wear a special helmet. If you feel uncomfortable about the doc's advice, always get a second opinion. Sometimes you can even call a pediatrician over the phone to ask if they are familiar with what you described. The only other suggestion I might add is that if you are really concerned about the baby sleeping on her back so much, then let her sleep on you part of the time- while you're relaxing on the couch she can snuggle with you on your chest! That way she's not on her back 100% of the time while she's sleeping AND it gives you so extra bonding time with baby! Good luck!!!

Answer 7

The best thing to do is carry your baby a lot. Use a sling so your hands are free. How old is the baby? If your baby is brand-new, then a little conehead is normal and it will round out by itself in time. My students told me to rub my baby's head because it will round out the head, but that's total horsesh*t. I don't know where these kids came up with the stuff they told me!

If your baby is older (say, three or four months), then the flat spot on her head is from laying down too much. It's harmless and it will smooth out on its own. Wearing your baby in the sling will take the pressure off of the flat spot. I agree that helmets are a waste, and they're seriously ugly.

Answer 8

NHS?

How old is your baby? It takes some time for the plates to get back in shape after birth. Try rotating sleeping positions too.

Answer 9

Abnormal Head Shape Treatment
When a baby is born there is usually some deformity of the head during the birthing process. In most cases, this goes away after the first six weeks. However, if after six weeks a parent or caregiver notices that the shape of the head looks abnormal, they should bring it to the attention of their pediatrician.

With the recommendation that babies sleep on their backs to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), parents are noticing an increase in abnormal or flattened head shapes. This flattened head syndrome, also known as positional (or deformational) plagiocephaly, results from preferentially lying on one side of the head. Deformational brachycephaly is a flattening across the back of the head.

"There are several reasons that a baby will develop positional plagiocephaly or positional brachycephaly. Because babies spend a lot of time on their backs, it causes pressure to be applied to just one area of the head. Babies' bones are soft so this pressure causes the bone to flatten and shift," says Scot Sepe, chief of orthotics and prosthetics at Arkansas Children's Hospital. "This condition can also develop inside the mother's uterus if there are multiple babies, large-size babies or if the mother has a small uterus or uterus abnormalities. Premature babies, also have a higher risk because their bones are extra soft. Some babies have a condition called torticollis, which is the tightening of the neck muscle on one side of the neck, which causes their head to remain in one position."

If the case is very mild, a doctor might recommend trying "tummy time" while the baby is awake or positioning the baby so that the flat side is not receiving direct pressure. While time on his stomach provides rest for the back of a baby's head, it also helps them learn to push up on their arms, which develop the muscles needed for crawling and sitting up, and strengthens neck muscles.

"A baby should be put to bed on their back because this has been proven to help reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). But the position a baby is placed in while sleeping on their back can be changed so that a constant pressure is not applied to one area," adds Sepe. "While the baby is awake they should spend as much time on their stomach as possible. This helps promote the decrease of head deformities as well as help the baby develop other motor skills."

At Arkansas Children's Hospital, a baby with this condition is seen by a doctor who specializes in the treatment of head deformities. The doctor will have X-rays taken to examine the condition of the skull and rule out any other complications. If the baby has torticollis an evaluation by a physical therapist and a home exercise program to stretch out the neck muscle to allow the baby better range of motion may be needed. Often the torticollis is resolved with one or two visits to the physical therapist and the family following through at home.

"In moderate to severe cases of head deformities the baby can be fit with a cranial helmet. This helmet will help reshape the head to a more normal shape by controlling the way the head grows. This is done by putting space in the helmet to allow the head to grow into that space. The helmet does not apply a force or push on the head. The baby is cased for this helmet so that it is specifically made for their individual head shape," explains Sepe.

The casting is done by applying two layers of cotton stocking and then soft fiberglass casting tape to the baby's head. Once this has dried (about one to two minutes), the fiberglass is cut up the side to allow easy removal. The helmet, made from a plastic outer shell and a thick inner foam lining, is created from this mold and then fit to the baby's head. Any adjustments that are needed are made at this time. The baby is put on a break-in schedule for the next five days. After the break-in time the baby will wear the helmet 23 hours a day. The baby will then be followed up once a month to monitor their progress. The average treatment time with the helmet is about four and a half months.

"At Arkansas Children's Hospital, babies are usually treated from as young as three month and as old as 18 months. The older the baby is the harder it is to correct the deformity. Babies will do most of their fastest growing in the first seven and a half months and will slow down from between eight and 12 months. The head growth will slow down even more after their first birthday."

While positional plagiocephaly is not painful and has not been proven to cause poor development, children normally will not outgrow abnormal head shapes. Sepe advises parents to contact their pediatrician if they suspect their child might need medical help to correct this problem.

Answer 10

the baby that lives accross the road from me has an abnormal headshape...... she wears something that looks like a crash helmet with a hole in the top for so many hours a day, this apparently shapes the head back to normal ask the doc about it!!!