The recommendation to put your baby to sleep in their crib on their back has dramatically reduced the number of babies that die each year from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). But all that time lying on their back can sometimes give infants a flat spot on their head.
In most cases, that flat spot – also called positional molding – isn’t harmful, it’s more of a cosmetic issue. To prevent or correct a flat spot on the head, the Mayo Clinic and Dr. John LaCount, a pediatrician with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Florence office offer these tips:
Add in tummy time
Give your baby a few minutes of supervised time on their tummy several times throughout the day on a firm surface.
Giving them some time on their tummy gives the back of the head a break and strengthens an infant’s neck muscles as they lift their head and start looking around, LaCount said.
Babies sometimes protest during tummy time. Since babies must be constantly supervised during tummy time, LaCount suggests parents get on the floor with the baby and engage them with funny faces or talking to them. You also can put out toys that make noise and mirrors that encourage the baby to reach or look around. Another option is to lay baby on your chest face to face and encourage them to look at you.
“If we can keep the kids moving around generally what happens is the bones remodel and everything is going to become symmetric,” LaCount said.
Hold your baby
Swings and bouncy seats are definitely a big help for busy parents, but try and alternate time in a seat with time in your arms. If you are carrying the baby ““ or have them in an infant carrier ““ their head position will be different than when they are lying on their back.
Alternate direction
You can try putting your baby to sleep (always on baby’s back) with their head on one end of the crib one night and the opposite end the following night. If baby is lying on a playmat during the day while awake, you can similarly alternate positions so the baby has to look a different way to see you or turn toward sounds.
In some cases, if the flat spot doesn’t disappear by around four to six months, a cranial helmet might be recommended, although LaCount said that is the last resort.
