logo plagiocefalia

What to do? My baby head's has a flat spot.

1st get diagnosis from pediatrician.

2nd intervene by removing or reducing pressure from the flat spot in the case of non-synostotic plagiocephaly or positional plagiocephaly.

Early detection of flattened head
Craniosysnostosis
  
Torticollis
  
Nonsynostosis
plagiocephaly or
positional plagiocephaly
  • Referred to pediatric neurosurgeon or cranial facial unit or plastic surgery department
  • CT-scan
  
  • Pediatric physical therapist
  • Neck stretching excercises
  
  • Repositioning/counter positioning/mimos pillow
  • Change preferred head position
  • More tummy time

Counter positioning and Mimos pillow

Takes the pressure off the flat spot so your baby's head can round out as it grows. This involves some maneuvering to make sure your baby do not rest on the flat spot by consistently repositioning his head resting position to the rounder side and also encourages him to look to the less preferred side.

Works best for baby less than 3 months old. This is because the skull is still soft and your baby is more likely to remain in one position.

Improvement after 2 to 3 months of repositioning. In general most of the babies show improvement after 2-3 months of repositioning.

Difficulties may arise in babies of 3 months and above. Many parents have difficulties getting babies to sleep on the rounder side because they have accustomed to sleep on the flattened side. In fact studies have shown that babies get used to sleep position in the first 3 months of life and do not readily accept a change of sleep position after that time.

How do I counter-position my baby?

If your baby has a flat spot, turn your baby slightly off his back at about a 45 degree angle. This will take the pressure off the flat spot. Use a crib roll to prevent your baby from rolling onto the tummy. Continue with this new position to keep your baby off the flat spot until your baby's skull becomes round and even.

counter positioning for plagiocephaly

Alternative solution: MIMOS PILLOW

Does not require the baby to change to a new sleep position.

Alleviates pressure and minimizes deformation by providing more surface of contact.

Works best for babies of 0 to 6 months old.

pillow to avoid plagiocephaly
how to use mimos pillow to prevent flat head syndrome

Change preferred head position and physical therapy

Prefered head position problem causes plagiocephaly

The strongest factor that causes positional plagiocephaly: Positional preference

If your baby has a positional preference, encourage him or her to look to the less-preferred side until he or she looks equally in both directions. It is important that we encourage our babies to look evenly at both directions.

How to encourage my baby to look to the less preferred side?

Play time: When you are holding your baby during playtime, use mobiles or brightly colored toys to encourage your baby to look in the less-preferred direction.

change the position of the baby when youo carry or feed him to avoid plagiocephaly
Change baby's preference to look at one direction

Feeding on the high chair: feed from the less prefered side.

Sleep and crib positioning: change the crib position in the room so that your baby looks away from the flattened side to see you and others in his room. Babies love to see faces and hear your voices.

Change your sleep position each night to encourage your baby to face to the less preferred side, if your baby sleeps facing you.

Place crib safe toys in such a way that your baby is encouraged to turn his head away from the flattened side.

Physical therapy is effective in treating positional preference

If your baby has difficulty achieving full neck rotation to the less preferred side or the positional preference is due to the tightness in the neck muscles then it is very important to get treatment from physical therapy as early as possible. Physical therapy is effective in treating the asymmetry neck muscles tightness, torticollis and associated deformational plagiocephaly.

More tummy time and upright time facilitates normal head growth and correction by keeping away the pressure and providing space for the flattened spot to round out. For baby with deformational plagiocephaly it is critical that we provide and encourage Tummy Time and keep baby in upright position as much as possible.

provide tummy time to prevent plagiocaphaly
carry your baby in a cloth to avoid plagiocephaly
Tummy time.
Promote the use of front and back infant carriers.

Once your baby has established head control, you can put him in the BUMBO seats to keep him in the upright position.

avoid plagiocephaly with upright position