Flat Head Syndrome + At-Home Tips

There are 4 forms of flat head syndromes that are called: plagiocephaly (as the most common), brachycephaly, scaphocephaly, and craniosynostosis (most rare). We are discussing plagiocephaly in today’s blog.

😎 Plagiocephaly

This is where 1 side of your infant’s head can appear flatter compared to the other (asymmetrical). There can be signs of flattening and asymmetry of head shape from birth due to how they were laying in-utero (mother’s belly), birth interventions and multiple babies in the womb (twins +).

If the flattening occurs 6 weeks or later after birth, then it is called positional plagiocephaly. This is where a baby may have preferred to look 1 direction, torticollis, NICU stay,

Frequency of positional plagiocephaly is the most common. Some studies show a rate of 1 birth out of 4 (DiRocco 2019) up to 1 birth out of 2 children (Ellwood 2020).

➡️ Most common causes are:

Being a first born

Being a boy

Use of forceps or vacuum during childbirth

Longer pushing phase of birth

Lying on back to sleep in the same position

Preference to look one direction often, torticollis, restricted neck movement

☀️ At-Home tips on how to to avoid a flat head for your baby:

During child’s awake times, try to put them on their stomach for tummy time

Variety is key. Time spent on their back, on their right side, on their left side, in a bouncer, in a baby carrier/sling, being held.

Try to limit any hard type of device (swing, bouncer, car seat, etc) to 2 hours total a day

If there is flattening on the back of their right head, then have them lay a little more on their left or looking left

Position play toys, siblings, light or your voice more to the opposite side you need them to look

🎯 When to seek professional support:

If you are varying their position and not noticing their head shape improve OR if you notice they really don’t like to turn their head to other direction, then it is time to see your local pediatric certified doctor of chiropractic. We will do a formal evaluation, give specific suggestions for your baby, relax the muscles of their head, neck, and shoulders and help with proper spine movement. Our office in Aledo, TX at The Chiropractic Place for Mommy and Me will also pair our pediatric chiropractor visits with seeing our massage therapist that is trained and certified in craniosacral therapy for additional head shape support.

🎀 The overall goal is to avoid a cranial helmet with these therapies. Sometimes a helmet is needed based on situations and then our therapies are there to help with the root-cause of why the flattening had developed.

🌱 The biggest take away from all of these tips are to = limit the time baby spends in the same position

One of our favorite resources for parents is the Flat Head Syndrome Fix book. This can be found on Amazon and has numerous tips that are practical listed.