One of the first things a parent does when they see their baby for the first time is inspect them closely. You count their fingers, their toes, you see who's features they have. A lot of first-time moms are really shocked when they look at their baby's head and notice that it's misshapen. It looks like a cone head. The back is elongated, sometimes it can even be elongated on the top. This has to do with the fact that when they were coming through the birth canal, their head molded to the shape of the birth canal. Especially for first-time moms, babies spend a lot of time in the birth canal, and this molding process is very normal. The bones on a baby's skull don't fuse until they're a little bit older, like in the toddler years. This is so that they can fit through the birth canal, and it also allows for their brain to rapidly grow and develop over the first couple years of life. So don't be alarmed if your baby had a cone head. It usually goes back to normal. It's a nice round shape after a couple of days.
Now down the road, you might notice that your baby gets a flat spot on one side or the other. This is very common, because the American Academy of pediatrics has recommended that all babies sleep on their back, and this significantly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. So if you're an obedient parent who's been thinking about this and doing some research, you put your baby to sleep on their backs, they are likely to get flat spots, unless you take some measures to reduce the amount of time that your baby spends on one side or the other.
If you notice a flat spot, do talk with your pediatrician about it. After performing an exam, they may have additional information for you. Sometimes intervention is necessary, depending on the severity of it and the baby's age. If it's just something that's starting to be noticed, it's slight when a baby is young, the doctor will probably just recommend things like alternating the side that you lay your baby down on. For example, think of when you go to put your baby down in the crib. You probably, just out of habit, put their head on the same side every time. Babies naturally turn their head towards the door of the room, so if you alternate the side of the head that you set your baby down on, they'll just naturally change the side that they turn their head to.
If you notice that your baby doesn't turn their head to one side or the other each time, or they consistently turn their head to the right or the left, what you should do is talk with a doctor about that as well, because sometimes it can be due to a condition called torticollis. It's where the baby's neck muscles are really tight. If the doctor feels like this is the issue, they might recommend stretching exercises. After working with your baby's neck muscles, those will loosen up and they'll be able to more easily turn their head to the opposite side. This helps them rotate the side of their head they lay on and prevent flat spots.
Also do what you can to hold your baby. Enjoy this precious time that you have with them while they're little. Snuggle them, cuddle them, and avoid just putting them down for long periods of time. It's okay obviously while they're sleeping, you're going to do this. They can't be in your arms 24/7. But when you are available and you have the time, snuggle them, cuddle them, hold them outwards, talk to them, interact with them, and also encourage tummy time. Tummy time is good for so many reasons. it gets them off of their head, and it also allows them to have an opportunity to lift their head up, strengthen their chest muscles, their arms, and this is good for their development overall. Babies don't always like tummy time, so start, in the beginning, by doing just a couple minutes at a time, a few times a day, and if they're crying a lot while you're doing it, just know that it's a couple of minutes. As they get older, they'll become more accustomed to it. You can also pull out the toys once they get to be a little older, like 4 to 6 months of age. that will serve as a good distraction. This ultimately helps them learn how to roll over and crawl, so it's so good for their development, and it gets them off their head.
If these measures aren't helping, then the pediatrician might recommend treatment, and sometimes this means that your baby has to wear a helmet. What this does is help to mold the shape of the baby's head back to its proper shape. Sometimes there are other underlying conditions that contribute to a misshapen head, so again, it's just always best to bring any concerns and observations that you have to the attention of your pediatrician. Good luck with everything, and if you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IntermountainMoms, and recommend us to your friends and family too.
