You may have heard of flat head syndrome in babies, but you may not be sure what it is. Flat head syndrome occurs when babies lie in the same positions for too long, thereby allowing the soft bones of their heads to flatten. This is a common issue we discuss with infants and isn’t a significant cause for concern. A PAK Pediatrics doctor can identify the syndrome in your baby in a routine well-child visit.
So how can you prevent flat head syndrome from happening to your infant? That question is best handled by learning more about flat head syndrome and its causes. Read on to uncover some of the basic information you need to know about how to avoid flat head syndrome.
How Does Flat Head Syndrome Appear?
In medical terminology, flat head syndrome is called plagiocephaly. It is identified by the back or side of a baby’s head appearing flat, not in keeping with the roundness of the rest of the head. Seeing this in your baby might be alarming. Baby bones are not fully formed or developed for some time, and it generally takes a few months for a baby’s bones to join together and become sturdier.
Flat head syndrome appears when babies spend too much time in one position. This can be on their backs or sides, and it isn’t due only to sleeping. Sitting in car seats, carriers, strollers, and other confined spaces present more opportunities for babies’ heads to lie flat against surfaces. When this goes on for too long, a baby’s head can become flat in the affected areas.
Flat head syndrome can also appear before birth. If the baby is a twin, the compressed space in the womb could cause the baby’s head to flatten. It can also happen if babies are born prematurely and spend several months in the hospital, where they are likely to spend a lot of time on their backs.
How to Prevent Flat Head Syndrome
This may be surprising, but flat head syndrome is usually not dangerous, and the syndrome is more of an aesthetic issue than a medical one. That’s because the skull returns to its regular round shape as babies get a little older and start mobilizing, spending less time lying flat.
Prevention methods for flat head syndrome are usually the same as treatment methods. The best way to prevent babies from developing the condition is to keep them off their backs. One popular baby activity is called tummy time, in which babies are placed on their stomachs and allowed to play with toys and move around a bit.
Another way to prevent flat head syndrome is to change the position in which your baby sleeps so as not to put too much pressure on one area of the head. It can also help to carry and hold babies more often rather than placing them down for hours.
Finally, when giving babies their normal nutrition through bottle feeding, hold them upright rather than having them lie flat.
Essentially, the more active babies are, the less likely they are to develop flat head syndrome. However, recall that even if your baby’s head does become flat, the condition is likely to correct itself within a few months.
