Hi Everyone! So my little boy is now 2 months old and things are starting to get a little less chaotic...thank you everyone again for all your great suggestions and words of encouragement (from my other thread). And now I'm back with more questions...and I'm not even a first time mom, I don't know what's wrong with me, lol! Anyways, my son has developed a flat spot on the back right side of his head because he prefers to sleep on that side and tends to favor looking in that direction. From the reading that I've done and talking with others, it seems that flat heads are a lot more common now that babies are to be put to bed on their backs. I try to encourage him to spend time on the other side of his head while awake (ie. put mobile/toys to other side, feed on other side), however, when he sleeps he will do everything in his power to turn his head back to his comfortable side. Two nights in a row I put him to sleep on his other side and he was up every 2 hours crying, not even hungry. I took him to the chiropractor and from a heat scan that they did they picked up inflammation in his neck, so it's obviously hurting him. A nurse told me that babies can have shortening/tightening in their necks (either from their position in the womb or from delivery) and over time it will work itself out. I guess my question is...has anyone experienced flat heads with their babies? Did it eventually round out as their baby got older and spent less time on their back? I'm worried that I'm going to give my son a deformed head!!! Sorry for the long post again!!! Thanks!!
Kim

it's very rare for a baby's head to remain misshapen permanently. it's good you are trying to rectify it as early as possible though. the head is still quite soft, as the fontanels haven't molded together yet, and won't until about 12-18 months (sometimes a bit longer). once your baby starts to sit upright (and spending far less time on his back), that head-shaping will begin to correct itself. try not to worry too much. for now, just keep trying to alternate sides as much as you can.

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My son Ethan is 11 years old & has a flat spot on the back of his head. I think it's because when he was born I already had a 15 month old baby and I was trying to give both attention but put him down a lot on his back.

You HAVE to switch sides with sleeping. Put rolled up blankets next to him so he can't roll. I've seen so many flatheaded babies especially since now they say not to put them on their tummies.

I put him in those sit play things when he was older so he want lying down as much but the damage had already been done.

My son's head did stay that way so I would take it seriously. Hope this helps!!

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Erica's Blog-Simply Onelove

I miss you JJ.

I used rolled up blankets as well. My daughter had a mild case of it, but like Shi said it rectified itself before too long.

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boppy makes a head support called noggin nest. i used it with my son when he started to develop a flat spot, and it seemed to help so i bought one for my daughter to use in the car seat and bouncer.

Noggin Nest® Head Support : Boppy Nursing and Infant Support Pillows, Play Mats and Activity Gyms

Does your baby constantly favor that side even when you're holding him, when he's in his car seat or a carrier? I don't want to scare you but there is a condition called torticollis where the baby's head is constantly turned to one side and their head will be very flat on that side. They will keep their head turned to the favored side all the time and will cry if you reposition the head to the other side. It's not overly serious but you should definitely mention this to your doctor. I'm sure you've seen babies that have to wear those special helmets. Most of the time those helmets are for babies who have developed torticollis and they use the helmet to reshape their head. My friend's baby had this and it took a very long time for the pediatrician to diagnose it because they only see the baby for 15 minutes at a time. My friend knew something wasn't right so she kept calling and calling and finally they diagnosed him. Do some research and check it out. Good luck!

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Lynne

It's funny you mention that...I just purchased one online this afternoon after doing a little research! Thanks for the info though!

Don't worry, you didn't scare me, I actually am aware of this condition and we have an appointment with our pediatrician in a few weeks so I will definitely ask him about it. I don't really think he has it or if he does it may just be a mild case because he will turn the other way for long periods of time if we keep him entertained on that side. Our chiropractor is actually quite knowledgable about torticollis as well and has had success in treating it...he wasn't too concerned about Jax when he saw him the other day, so hopefully everything's okay but I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks for the info!

Oh good, glad to hear you're aware of this, my friend wasn't so she didn't know to ask. I completely overlooked the part of your post about the chiropractor....yes he would definitely know about that. Good luck with everything

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Lynne