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FLAT HEADS

Tamba magazine recently reported on “flat heads”, where babies have a flattening of the head. Properly called deformational plagiocephaly, it is a flattening that gives either an asymmetrical head shape when viewed from the top, or wide head in comparison to the length. It’s an increasingly common condition in the UK. It predominantly arises after birth, due to the extended time that babies spend on their backs. And it’s more common in twins and multiples. There is less room in the womb, meaning the soft skull bones can be moulded by the mother’s body. This lack of space often causes the lower twin or multiple to engage early and the head is then lodged against the bones of the pelvis. The bones of the uppermost baby can also become moulded by the ribcage. There is also less amniotic fluid, so the babies’ heads have less cushioning than singletons. The greatest risk for multiples is that the pregnancy rarely goes to term, and babies who are born slightly prematurely have softer skulls. The back sleeping, added to lots of time in car seats, prams and baby bouncers, puts sustained pressure on the soft skulls making them more prone to becoming deformed.

Sometimes babies will have a STARband helmet fitted. This gently guides the head to grow in the right places over about 12 to 16 weeks.

Preventing flat heads

 If your babies are less than 7 months old, these repositioning tips will help to encourage their heads to grow more symmetrically:

Sleeping:

• Babies should always be placed on their backs to sleep, but alternate the end of the cot that you place their heads each night.
• Change the position of the light in the room so that it is on the side your babies tend to turn away from.
• If your babies suck a thumb, try covering the one they prefer, to encourage turning to the other side
• Reposition your babies’ heads away from the flattened side after they have gone to sleep.

Play time

• When awake and supervised, place your babies on their tummies to play.

Feeding

• Alternate the side that you hold your babies when feeding

Travel

• Reduce the amount of time that your babies spend with the backs of their heads on a firm flat surface, for example in car seats, baby walkers and buggies,
• Where possible, use front carriers or hold your babies in your arms,
• When in a car seat, use a rolled towel or soft foam pad to move your babies’ heads away from the flattened side.

Ed’s note : if all this sounds rather frightening, don’t worry. It’s only through reading the Tamba article that we have realised that our son, Charlie, probably has some degree of this condition. He wedged himself low down very early on in my pregnancy, and whilst his sister did somersaults under my ribcage, he stayed very still throughout. We maintained he was determined to be first out! He has always had a flat side to his head, which can’t be spotted unless you know to look for it. It is rather weird looking at it and thinking that that is probably the shape of my pelvis!

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