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Baby flat head syndrome or positional plagiocephaly commonly happens during first few months of life because a baby sleeps with the head turned to the same side for a prolong time. The pressure asserted on the soft skull causes a flat spot, either on the side or the back of the head.
There are three main type of Flat Head - Positional Plagiocephaly, Brachycephaly and Scaphocephaly. These three type of skull deformation are commonly grouped together and referred to as “Flat Head Syndrome”.
Plagiocephaly is the most common type of misshapen head, and all the deformities are usually preventable.
We have a range of products that help to remove, alter and/or distribute pressure that will to resolve the condition:
According to NHS data, the likelihood of flat head syndrome occurring is higher for twins and multiple births. As well as premature babies or children who went through a traumatic labour process. Other common causes of a flat spot in babies' heads can occur more naturally.
The two main factors of baby flat head are as follows:
Occasionally, a flat spot or a flattened head can be caused by the plates of the skull fusing together too prematurely. This is called congenital plagiocephaly or more commonly known as Craniosynostosis. Luckily this is a very rare condition that only occurs in about 1 in every 2500 births, so most of the time there will be another reason for your child's flathead.
We recommend the R.E.D technique for easy and effective prevention and treatment of baby flat head syndrome. These techniques are natural and safe and has been recommended by healthcare professionals.
1. Repositioning:
Repositioning (Supervised) - Some babies have a preferable side that they sleep on naturally, in which case the parent may have to intervene and change the position of their baby. This technique is called supervised repositioning. In order to take the pressure away from the flattened sides, parents are encouraged to change their baby’s sleeping position, to move any pressure to the alternate side of the head, using positioning aids. Tools such as Tortle Beanies and positioning wedge can help with the repositioning. Also, toys can be used to attract the attention of the baby to turn to the other side.
Rotation of baby's head - check if your baby has difficulty turning their head (potential Torticollis).
Referral - we encourage seeing a physiotherapist, Osteopath or Chiropractor that may help to loosen and strengthen their neck muscles.
2. Ease the pressure:
Reduce container time - or commonly-used piece of baby equipment that resembles a container, including: car seats, strollers, bouncy swings. Parents are encouraged to carry their baby as much as possible using a sling or baby carrier
TummyTime (frequently and increase gradually) - This helps to remove the pressure from the flattened side of the skull and is also great for training the muscles that your baby needs to sit up and crawl.
3. Distribute the pressure:
While the corrective positioning of your baby may work well up to the age of 4 months, after this age, it can become very difficult to alter your baby's sleeping position. Babies usually have a preferred side which they will sleep on, meaning the pressure is usually focused on one side of the head. As a baby gets older it can be increasingly difficult to improve this sleeping position through repositioning. Furthermore , supervised repositioning requires unwavering attention, especially during the night, and may upset your baby if they feel uncomfortable being moved out of their chosen favorite position.
A specially designed medical pillow/cushion can be used to distribute the weight of a baby's head over a larger area so less pressure is placed on a particular point of their skull while the baby is lying on their back. This removes the need to worry about constantly re-positioning your baby. Simply place your baby so his or her head is located within the pillow's cavity. This will reduce the pressure by distributing the weight of the head over a much larger area of contact.
Mimos pillow is an European CE approved class I medical device. This patented pressure distribution device is made of 3D spacer fabric that has been tested for anti-suffocation or CO2 rebreathing safety. It is the only baby pillow in the market you can trust for its clinical efficacy and breathable safety. You could try Medibino cushion If you have a smaller space and budget.
These natural techniques are much recommended for mild and moderate cases compared to the controversial helmets and headbands treatment that cost more than £2000 and can come with adverse effects.
View products that can help to remove, alter and/or distribute pressure that causes plagiocephaly.
If your baby is diagnosed with Craniosynostosis, corrective surgery may be needed.
One size does not fit all. Different sizes are required in order to support different head circumference and neck support areas. Different sizes for each product are available depending on your baby’s age and head circumference.
Please go to the product’s page, and click on the size information tab to choose the right size for your baby. Head circumference information can normally be obtained from your doctor or health visitor (personal child health record – red book). If no recent head circumference record is available, you can do the measurement yourself, rather easily with some measuring tape.
We recommend all the natural techniques such as tummy-time, which is great for playing while the baby is awake, supervised repositioning in the daytime, and a pressure distribution pillow while the baby is laying on their back. If torticollis is involved, please get a referral for paediatric physiotherapy.
Research shows all these techniques are effective and the combination of these techniques result in the best outcomes.
Not always. The standard recommendation from the NHS is that a flat head is just a cosmetic problem and can either recover itself or be hidden by a baby’s hair as the baby grows older. Flattening will stop progressing once your baby is at a certain age and the subsequent head growth may visually improve, however residual flattening and facial asymmetry can persist well into adulthood.
Recent studies published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggest that only 25% - 75% of babies with Flat Head Syndrome see their skull recover by itself. 75% of infants in the study continue to have some degree of positional skull deformities at two years of age.
The authors also stated that:
“Skull deformation does not completely resolve in all cases by natural course, and helmet therapy does not seem to have an added value for recovery. Therefore, we emphasise the importance of prevention, early detection, and early treatment with paediatric physiotherapy of skull deformation.”
