If you want to know how you can give your baby the greatest chance at having a nice
round head shape, then this video is for you.
I’m going to be talking about the things you can do on your part to prevent your baby
from developing a flat spot on his head.
And I will also be talking about what to do if your baby already has a flat spot.
I’m Dr. Belousov.
I equip parents with knowledge so they can care for their baby with confidence.
When a baby stays in one position for too long, he can start to develop a flat spot
from the pressure to that part of the head.
And if this continues on a daily basis, then it will continue to get worse.
This can happen quickly within the first 2 months and more slowly at 3 to 6 months.
At this age the baby's skull is made of several bones and they are more soft and flexible.
This is to allow the rapid brain growth that occurs in the first year of life.
The major causes of a baby developing a flat spot on the head include prematurity, limited
exposure to tummy time, and not changing up the baby’s head position.
There are also some babies who either because of their position in the womb or after a difficult
delivery, will have their neck muscle shorten on one side, this medical condition is called
Torticollis.
The baby's head will tilt to one side, while the chin tilts to the other side.
There will also be a limit in the babys ability to turn the neck and head.
Babys with torticollis have higher chance of getting a flat spot on their head because
the baby’s head tends to always be turned to the same side.
If you think that your baby might have torticollis, then talk to your doctor about it.
To prevent a flat spot from developing it is very important to change up your babies
head position throughout the day.
During feeding time, especially if your baby is bottle fed, be sure to alternate the arm
with which you hold your baby so that it limits the pressure that you apply against the back
of one side of the head more than the other side.
A simple way to remember this is to change the babies position after each burp.
Alternating your baby's environment by changing the position of interesting items like toys,
will encourage your baby to change his head position as well.
When your baby is awake and laying on his back, if he has not turned his head from one
side to the other on his own in 10-15 minutes, go ahead and reposition by turning it to the
other side.
Also frequently alternate the way you put your baby down to sleep.
One night you can have him sleep with his head toward one end of the crib, the next
night have him sleep with his head toward the other end of the crib.
Alternating the baby's body position nightly will help keep your baby from always sleeping
on one side and developing a flat spot there.
Having your baby do tummy time while awake and under your supervision is a great activity
that also helps reduce the risk of a flat spot developing.
Tummy time also lets your baby exercise her neck, back, shoulders, and arms.
It’s important to do it as part of your baby’s daily routine.
I have a separate video that goes into detail on tummy time.
It will be linked at the end of this video.
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Your baby learns to hold her head steady as she is held or carried.
Be sure to pick your baby up from different sides and consistently alternate the arm with
which you hold her, so she can turn and look to each side.
Avoid keeping your baby in a car seat, baby swing, or carrier for long periods of time.
These positions put pressure on the back of her head and can contribute to the formation
of a flat spot.
I think that prevention is the best approach, however when it is found early, making simple
changes to the baby's position will improve a flat spot.
So what should you do if your baby's head already has a flat spot?
Let me use this example.
This baby has a mild flat spot on the left back part of his head.
All the techniques mentioned above, if done consistently will not only help with prevention
but will also help correct a flat spot that has already formed.
So I would be intentional about doing all the things to change the head position throughout
the day and during sleep.
Work on increasing tummy time as well.
In the case of the baby who has a flat spot on the left side of his head, I would recommend
that the parents do activities that make him lay more on the right side of his head or
straight on the back of his head for longer periods of time than his left side.
We don’t want the spot that is already flat getting more pressure placed on it because
that will just make it worse.
By putting toys on the right side or having the parents position themselves on the babys
right side will have him turning his head to the right to look at them.
When laying him into the crib, having the room wall on his left side will have him turning
his head to the right, because he is more interested in what is going on in his room,
rather than staring at the wall.
If your baby has a flat spot, continue to pay attention to it and have your baby's doctor
take a look at it at every check up visit.
Please share this video with anyone who you know would benefit from this information.
If you would like a free download of my baby development checklist, you can get it through
the link in the description below.
Enter the topics that you want to see covered in my future videos in the comment section.
This video is a part of my baby development series.
Some are linked above and the others can be found on my Youtube channel Friendly Kid Doc.
I'm looking forward to seeing you in my next video.