25 Aug 😬Did you know that a new born baby’s head shape👶🏻 can change and become flatten very quickly in a matter of 6 weeks? 😲What if you could proactively prevent your newborn baby from developing a flatten head shape?
👶🏻A newborn baby’s skull is soft and pliable to allow for the brain’s rapid growth during the early stages of life. This malleability can sometimes lead to the development of a flattened head shape, a condition known as positional plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome. There are two common causes of this condition:
👶🏻1.Sleep Position:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies be placed on their backs to sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, spending extended periods of time lying on their backs, especially when their skull bones are still soft, can lead to flattening in the back of the head. This is because the baby’s head is in contact with a flat surface, such as a mattress or crib.
👶🏻2. Preference for Head Position:
Babies often develop a preference for turning their head to one side due to their limited neck muscle strength, tight neck muscle and their natural reflexes. This can result in consistent pressure on one side of the head, leading to flattening on that side.
Baby’s head shape can become flat in a matter of 6 weeks lying in the same position. By the time parents notice a significant deformity in baby’s head shape it can be 4-6 months later.😲 To prevent baby’s head shape from becoming too flat and mis-shapened, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists recommend that parents carry out regular checks on baby’s head shape. 👶🏻To check your baby’s head shape, simply hold your baby’s head in your palms while looking at baby’s head from the top. This view allows you to notice any flattened spots on baby’s head.
If you are concerned about your baby’s head shape, ring My Favourite Physio📱 on ( 02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists 🤓today. Find out how we can help correct baby’s flatten head shape!
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