How to Prevent Babies From Having a Flat Head

• Babies may develop flat spots on their heads, usually from lying in one position while they sleep. It's a common condition, but one they usually outgrow
• Parents can take steps to avoid or correct it; serious cases may require custom-fitted helmets to help guide the head's growth, though

To this day, Susanna Koh remembers the time a father walked into her clinic and asked staff to help treat his baby boy's flat head syndrome. Before she could say anything, he said he didn't need any information; he was ready for his son to have the treatment.

Surprised, Koh asked him why he was so eager. That's when the father confessed that he'd had the syndrome himself as a baby.

His own face was not symmetrical, Koh said; one side was flatter than the other. He told her that glasses did not fit well on his face, resulting in a huge difference in the sight in his eyes. His teeth were a mess. When he talked with people, he tilted his head because he had sharper hearing on one side than the other.

He didn't want his son to suffer any of this, he said.

© Provided by South China Morning Post When babies develop a flat spot on the back or side of their head, this is known as plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome. Photo: Shutterstock

"He was the first adult that confessed to me that his flat head as a baby affected him so much," said Koh, who co-founded Orthopaedia. The private practice with clinics in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia is one of many that offers children's orthotic services - aids, such as braces, that support, align, prevent or correct deformities or improve function.

Could a baby you know have flat head syndrome? Here's what you need to know.

What is flat head syndrome, and how common is it?

When babies are a few months old, they sometimes develop a flat spot on the back or side of their head, resulting in an asymmetrical head shape. This is known as plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome.

It usually is not a major cause for concern, as it doesn't have any effect on the brain and the head shape will often improve by itself over time.

It is fairly common. In a 2013 study of 440 infants seven to 12 weeks old in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta, 205 (46.6 per cent) were observed to have some form of plagiocephaly. Of those, 78.3 per cent had a mild form. The results were published in the journal Pediatrics.

In an Italian study, published in the European Journal of Pediatrics in 2018, of 283 infants examined 107 (37.8 per cent) were found to have flat head syndrome at eight to 12 weeks of age.

© Provided by South China Morning Post A baby during

What are the causes and symptoms?

According to the website of the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in the US state of Florida, the most common cause of a flattened head is a baby's sleep position, from lying regularly in one position when they sleep, and being in infant car seats, carriers, strollers, swings and bouncy seats.

Premature babies are more likely to have a flattened head, as their skulls are softer than those of full-term babies. They also spend a lot of time on their backs without being moved or picked up because of their medical needs, such as a stay in neonatal intensive care.

The syndrome can even start before birth if there is pressure on the baby's skull from the mother's pelvis, or from a twin. Many babies from multiple births are born with heads that have some flat spots.

When parents are washing their babies' hair and notice the head shape is not symmetrical, that's the moment they should start paying attention, said Helen Lee, an orthotist at Orthopaedia.

Other signs to watch out for include having less hair on part of the head, or if the ear on the side that is flattened looks as though it has been pushed forward, according to Johns Hopkins.

How is flat head syndrome diagnosed and treated?

Parents who have tried adjusting their baby's sleeping position for a time without seeing a change in the head shape should have the baby checked at a hospital or clinic, Lee says.

© Provided by South China Morning Post Susanna Koh co-founded Orthopaedia.

At Orthopaedia, the baby's head is usually measured and compared with a plagiocephaly severity scale published by the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in the US. The scale has five levels of severity.

Level 1 is classified as normal head shape. For level 2, it is recommended that parents try varying the baby's sleeping position in the cot, carrying the baby more, and practising "tummy time", laying babies on their stomachs for brief periods while they're awake.

But for levels 3 to 5, cranial remoulding orthosis, or a helmet, is recommended, Lee says.

© Provided by South China Morning Post Helen Lee is an orthotist at Orthopaedia.

"The helmet therapy has a similar principle to growing a square-shaped watermelon," she says.

Medical experts project the amount the baby's head will grow in the coming month. A customised helmet gradually helps to direct the growth of the baby's head into the desired shape.

The use of a helmet is debated in different parts of the world. The UK's Kingston Hospital says on its website that "there is no clear evidence that specially designed helmets and headbands work in flat head syndrome, and their use can cause skin irritation and discomfort to babies".

But Johns Hopkins believes helmets make the head more round more quickly than leaving it to time and normal growth, and recommends people talk to their doctors about whether a helmet could help their babies.

© Provided by South China Morning Post For some babies, cranial remoulding orthosis, or wearing a helmet, is recommended. Photo: Shutterstock

What if the syndrome isn't treated?

Babies with the syndrome continue to live a normal life. However, when left untreated, in a serious case there is a risk of developmental delays, visual defects, ear infections, middle ear malfunction, jaw bone changes, learning difficulties and other psychomotor delays, Lee says.

Fortunately, flat head syndrome doesn't affect a baby's brain growth, according to Johns Hopkins.

Having flat head syndrome is sometimes associated with having a stiff neck - which can slow a baby's early development. It is recommended that babies who go through physiotherapy for torticollis, or a stiff neck, should have a progress check and extra exercises to treat any delays.

Parents-to-be should learn about flat head syndrome and how it can be prevented, Lee says. Lots of tummy time from birth and alternating sleeping positions are most effective in preventing a flat head in the first three months of a baby's life.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

How to Prevent Babies From Having a Flat Head

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-sg/lifestyle/other/flat-head-syndrome-facts-about-the-condition-behind-the-helmet-wearing-baby-fad-and-how-to-prevent-or-fix-it/ar-AAR9OzE?li=BBr8zL1

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