Are there a LOT of babies with flat heads?

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I think it is a result of back sleeping, sitting in the bouncy chairs at home/day care, sitting in the car seat, and genetics. I held my girls too much but I wanted too. I paid the price in not being willing to listen to them cry so I ended up brushing my teeth, getting something to eat, doing everything with one hand! I don't suggest that to anyone but it kept their heads nice and round.

 

[momof2inPA]

So many babies have flat heads because they are being neglected. They're in the pumpkin seat, the crib, and the swing all the time at daycare and at home. Pick the kid up for heaven's sake!

There are cases where babies had to spend a lot of time in the hospital or at home in bed for medical reasons, and that's another reason for flat-headedness.

Didn't we all discuss this a few years ago on the debate board?

 

[cwnhokie]

Out of curiosity how long will she have to wear the helmet? Does she wear during all waking hours?

I work in our states early intervention program. One baby I work with has flat head syndrome or plagiocephaly. He has to wear the helment 23 hours a day. She takes it off to wash it and him, that's about it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Out of curiosity how long will she have to wear the helmet? Does she wear during all waking hours?

My niece had to wear it all the time except when she was bathing. She wore it for three months and then hit an age where the head stops growing so no more could be gained. She was adopted at 11 months and started to wear it about 6 weeks later (time to get Dr. appointment and helmet made). The Dr. said she was on the old side, but it would help. It sure did, hit made her face balanced and rounded out the back. The back was so flat that the back of her hear was actually higher than the front. The helmet fixed the hight back of the head problem. The Dr. said he prefered to have the kid be 4-6 months old to get the fastest results.

 

[kristen821]

It doesn't bother them to sleep with that on?

 

[Hillbeans]

I have heard some people say it is lack of tummy time during the day...in our particular case, DS had plenty of tummy time - it is what he preferred, but when he fell asleep on his back, his face always rolled the same way. We would try to roll it the other way, but it would always go back. We even tried rolling up a blanket to hold his head to the other side, but it would make him so angry!!! Since he was our first, the whole thing worried us. It went away so quickly though. Can I blame his awful cowlick in the back of his head on that, too???

LOL, this is us too. My son' had a flat spot on the back right side of his head (he's 4 months tomorrow). He often rolls himself back into the same spot - and we do give him LOTS of tummy time.

 

[DisneyLovingMama]

Both my kids would only fall asleep on their tummies. It was so nerve wracking. But, i'd let them fall asleep, then flip them in their sleep. Once they could turn over (four months for both), the battle was lost completely, they were tummy babies. Funny thing is, now they both sleep on their backs!

 

[mickeyfan2]

LOL, this is us too. My son' had a flat spot on the back right side of his head (he's 4 months tomorrow). He often rolls himself back into the same spot - and we do give him LOTS of tummy time.

My niece loves to lie on her back. She would scream when we tried to stop her from laying on her back. She loved to play that way. You should see how often we had to put out hand behind her back and she would be pushing aginst it to get onto her back.

 

[mickeyfan2]

It doesn't bother them to sleep with that on?

Yes, but the Dr. said she was old enough for a pillow so they put it under her and she slept fine. BTW she still slept on her back with the helmet on.

 

[lil mermaid]

OOhhhh a question that can start me on a rant! I think many babies have flat heads because they are never held! My heart breaks when i see babies practically living in their little plastic cages! My DH and i both get sad watching parents sit through an hour long dinner with their baby pacified with little foot nudges to the carrier to keep them from protesting. And i am talking big parties where there are many adults who could take turns holding the child.
I could go on and on (after all this is a rant). Needless to say i think babies can sleep on their backs if during waking hours they are in close contact with something other than a plastic body pacifier.

Wow - it is amazing how ignorant you are on this subject, considering that you are a nurse and all....

 

[Judy from Boise]

Actually not ignorant.......when taking coursework for my Public health nurse liscense....I had a 2 unit university course on Child abuse.I learned then that a flat head (especially coupled with bald spots) was a classic sign of neglect. These days I think many babies are being subjected to a new type of neglect through the invention and widespread use of plastic carriers that go from car to where ever.....making it not necessary to carry the child.I am not casting aspersions on parents, and am sure that it is not a malicious act. However i do believe that it is harmfull/not ideal!
I never asked anyone to justify their parenting style... but i certainly have the right , and possible obligation, to state what i think is the truth.

 

[kristen821]

Actually not ignorant.......when taking coursework for my Public health nurse liscense....I had a 2 unit university course on Child abuse.I learned then that a flat head (especially coupled with bald spots) was a classic sign of neglect. These days I think many babies are being subjected to a new type of neglect through the invention and widespread use of plastic carriers that go from car to where ever.....making it not necessary to carry the child.I am not casting aspersions on parents, and am sure that it is not a malicious act. However i do believe that it is harmfull/not ideal!
I never asked anyone to justify their parenting style... but i certainly have the right , and possible obligation, to state what i think is the truth.

In her defense correct me if I am wrong, I don't think she is talking about leaving a baby in there once in awhile. I used to use ours at grocery stores and while I was eating out once in awhile if dd was sleeping. I think she is talking about babies that are in there all the time at home and out. To create a flat head and bald spots they have to be in there a whole lot. I personally hated the infant carseat it hurt my hands to carry it, but if dd was sleeping and I was out I would leave her in there. There was no need to wake her up she was the most demanding baby!

 

[jodifla]

Actually not ignorant.......when taking coursework for my Public health nurse liscense....I had a 2 unit university course on Child abuse.I learned then that a flat head (especially coupled with bald spots) was a classic sign of neglect. These days I think many babies are being subjected to a new type of neglect through the invention and widespread use of plastic carriers that go from car to where ever.....making it not necessary to carry the child.I am not casting aspersions on parents, and am sure that it is not a malicious act. However i do believe that it is harmfull/not ideal!
I never asked anyone to justify their parenting style... but i certainly have the right , and possible obligation, to state what i think is the truth.

Considering how long of the day most infants sleep, I don't buy this argument at all. Unless you're supposed to carry them around while they're sleeping.

 

[scubamouse]

Actually not ignorant.......when taking coursework for my Public health nurse liscense....I had a 2 unit university course on Child abuse.I learned then that a flat head (especially coupled with bald spots) was a classic sign of neglect. These days I think many babies are being subjected to a new type of neglect through the invention and widespread use of plastic carriers that go from car to where ever.....making it not necessary to carry the child.I am not casting aspersions on parents, and am sure that it is not a malicious act. However i do believe that it is harmfull/not ideal!
I never asked anyone to justify their parenting style... but i certainly have the right , and possible obligation, to state what i think is the truth.

Again you're proving that you're not taking genetics into account in your judgments. Don't you need to have some passing knowledge of genetics to be a nurse? Certainly my sister (who's an RN) does. The fact that you refuse to acknowlege a genetic component in at least some cases of flat head, give you ZERO credibility on the subject as far as I'm concerned!

 

[LisaNJ25]

Considering how long of the day most infants sleep, I don't buy this argument at all. Unless you're supposed to carry them around while they're sleeping.

yeah and they will wake up and we would never get a break. My 4mo is a little flat on the one side of his head. He is getting better. I think it happened during the first few weeks after he was born. I used to sleep downstairs on the couch with him and he would lay on my chest on his side.

He also now has a bald spot in the back. I guess I am a really bad mom.

With a 16mo also I cannot hold him all day long.

 

[cabmom]

I've had 4 kids now and all of them have had bald spots from rubbing their heads on my arms as I was nursing them!

 

[Beth76]

You can hardly equate child abuse/neglet to never holding your child. My children were really not held very often. I held them while feeding of course and we would snuggle sometimes, but for the most part I let them be their own person. My second son was almost always in his carrier when he was a newborn because he pretty much slept if he wasn't eating. When he got a little older and had more awake time, he would sit in his swing or his boucy seat (which he could rock himself) or on the floor. Floor time is important too. It helps them learn to use their body and become mobile.

It's my opinion that holding babies too much can cause problems. So there.

ETA: neither of my boys suffered from "flat-head" syndrome as a result of not being held.

 

[ReneeA]

Well, my DS is 4 and he had a pretty pronounced flat spot and bald spot. BUT, he was one of those infants that prefered to sleep...slept about 20 hours a day. So much, in fact, that I was forever asking the doctor if he was ok. The pediatrician just told me to thank my lucky stars...some mothers would swap with me in a heartbeat. Since he was my first, whenever he was awake, I was holding and carrying him. My mother told me I was doing him great harm by not letting him roll around on the floor. He's done fine.

My DD is 2 and was colicky and NEVER slept...just screamed. She didn't ever develop a flat spot because she's always been really active and advanced. She rolled over for the first time at 4 weeks, crawled at 4 1/2 months and walked at 7 1/2 months old. She always prefered her side or tummy to sleep on, and I couldn't keep her on her back. Due to the screaming when she was awake, I decided against flipping her to her back because I was afraid of waking her from her measly 5-6 hours of sleep a day. I just laid her on a firm mattress with tight sheet and no bedding.

They are both fine today, and still different as can be!

 

[Judy from Boise]

Again you're proving that you're not taking genetics into account in your judgments. Don't you need to have some passing knowledge of genetics to be a nurse? Certainly my sister (who's an RN) does. The fact that you refuse to acknowlege a genetic component in at least some cases of flat head, give you ZERO credibility on the subject as far as I'm concerned!

Please! This is not a thread on all possible causes of flat heads! Of course genetics play a role in everything. The OP wondered why/if there has been an increasing trend of flat heads.I stand my my opinion that yes there is an increase, and it is due to overuse (nonmalicious in most cases) of infant carriers!
I am afraid that I am not taking the bait to turn this into a personal fight.Although I admit I am once again saddened by a small percentage of posters on the DIS who love to turn threads ugly.

 

[DawnCt1]

What an ignorant and insulting post! Judgmental much?

My DD has a VERY flat head. It was really really obvious until she started to get hair and now at 3.5 you can't notice it. But it's still flat.

Her head was and is off the charts large. Large enough to have the doctors double check the size at every appt.

But guess what - if you actually took a look at those parents you're judging you might see that, as in our family, one of the parents has a large flat head. My DH and my FIL have huge flat heads. And my FIL was a Rhodes Scholar and DH is Ivy league educated. DD came by it honestly not out of a lack of attention or being kept in a cage.

Oh and my son spent a year in an orphanage before we adopted him and his head is quite round and i can assure you it's not from all the nurturing he got there!

I don't understand why everyone is jumping down Judy's throat. She has related HER EXPERIENCE; the babies that she has encountered when she is out and about, to parties, to dinner, etc. I don't think she ever said anything about any of 'your' babies. She made an observation.