Flat head severe? Normal? Help

Question

Sorry I need to vent and I’m looking for advice. I have been doing EVERYTHING from tummy time to turning head on sides when sleeping and my baby’s flat head is not getting any better. I even bought positional pillows with a hole in the center. Does this get better with time? Is this a severe flat head? Pediatrician is not doing ANYTHING and said they don’t recommend helmets anymore. Opinions?

Answer

I have a friend who is actually a PT (I’m an OT) and her son has the helmet right now so I know they do still use them. It wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion. It’s hard to find a balance between advocating for your child and trusting what the doctors tell you-trust your gut.

Answer

With my first born, I did everything to prevent a flat head and am an OT myself. It still happened despite me trying various things to prevent it. Our pediatrician didn’t feel a helmet was necessary but I took her to get a free consult anyways and the orthotist agreed she would qualify and benefit from one. We did a helmet for a few months and had great improvements with head shape. I’m glad we did it.

Answer

Also those positional pillows are not recommended. My pediatrician, PT, and the baby begin people don’t recommend it. They are super against it.

Answer

My son actually has torticolis (stiff neck) and Plagiocephaly which is flat head. The only difference is that my son’s he’d is flat on the side.  He wouldn’t turn his head to the left and will be on his right side. His ear has actually moved because of it. I have him in physical therapy to treat his stiff neck. His therapist told me to do a lot of side play laying him on his sides and tummy time it has been working. You have to remember it took time to get flat it’s gonna take time to fill in. I follow this page on Instagram that specializes in plagiocephaly she gives great advice and you can also set up a consultation with them. Their Instagram is @babybegin  if you want to check it out. Be open to the baby having to wear a helmet.

Answer

You have nothing to worry about. My son's head was so much worse. He almost had to wear the helmet. it corrected itself when he started to sit more. I believe our pediatrician said if they are still around 8-9 months and have a flat head then it is a concern.

Answer

I haven’t experienced it personally with my son but I’ve heard time and time again that once they start sitting up and spending less time on their backs it gets better!

Answer

I’m sure there’s plenty of babies out there with severe conditions that need helmets but also think that doctors are super quick to put babies in helmets these days not only to cover their ass, but also for referral money. My doctor without even looking at my child’s head at 4mo said he should get a helmet. I brought up to him how I felt like it was a little flat, I’ve been literally trying everything positional holding, tummy time, switching positions with diaper changes, sleeping etc. he’s only on his back to sleep or get changed. And he was so flippantly like oh let me take a look at it, so I turned him around and he’s like it’s not that bad. Then I told him my worst fear was him being in a helmet, then he’s like “let me take a closer look” and within 30 sec goes “yeah he could use a helmet” I was so pissed bc I feel like if I hadn’t brought it up he wouldn’t have even noticed anything. Within minutes he wrote me a referral. I was there just to get eczema cream... I’m getting a second opinion. My sister who has a 2year said her babies head looked exactly same and his head is totally normal now. I just feel like the second you walk in for a “consult” they won’t let you leave without dipping into your wallet. It’s a money making industry. Obviously some sever babies need it. But after reading about that study that was done in 2014 they couldn’t even tell out of the 84 babies by the age of 2 which half had helmets and which half didn’t. All ranging from moderate to severe. Obviously if my baby needs a helmet I’ll get him one but the skeptic in me sees an industry where there’s lots of money to be made, and heart strings to be pulled.

Answer

Not trying to freak you out, but they do still recommend helmets for severe misshapen heads. My daughter has had a right head turn problem since birth, making one side of her head really flat. Now that’s she’s sitting up more it’s helped a bit, but she’s still having to get a helmet. I would def get a second opinion. It would be better to try to fix now than before he’s older if it doesn’t resolve on its own.

Answer

My son has a little bit of a flat head going on as well but since his ears weren't too universal and something about his forehead not protruding (I can't remember exactly what he mentioned with that) that he wasn't too worried especially since I was already making an effort to fix/not let it get any worse (tummy time and rotating how I lay him down for naps/sleep). He said at 6 mo if it's not getting better he would send me to the helmet doctor with him. If you still feel it's flat and needs extra help around 6 months then it might be worth getting a second opinion.

Flat head severe? Normal? Help

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