Flat Head Syndrome and 3 Month Milestones worry

Tummy Time Tips: Here are some tummy time tips for any mom's struggling with it. First off...the time they spend on their tummy is the amount they do ALL day added up...not in one shot..so don't get stressed if someone says they should be doing "this amount" of tummy time/day...it is the addition of all the little times they do THROUGHOUT the day! If you are just starting off...no matter what age...start on your chest not the floor. It is a much more familiar place for them, they feel comfortable and more confident there and are with their favourite person..you! :) Tuck their arms under their chest and you may have to gently "hold" them there (from the side...so your hands are along their side and arm) and talk to them to see if they will look at you. THe more upright you are the easier it is for your baby...the stronger they get -you start to recline more. WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR...is not that they can lift their heads from the start...you are looking to see if they can push through their arms to support their head (working the back and shoulder muscles that support the head). They may not lift their head at all but push through their arms and even raise their eyes to try to look at you but may not get to the head part yet. HOW LONG...a few seconds may be all they can do...but encourage to them to try and lift their heads 2 or 3 times in a row...if they cry or complain give them a rest and then try again. If they do this 4 times for 30 seconds possibly in 3 different sessions during the day you have done 6 minutes of tummy time!!!!!...it adds up...and tomorrow you can try and get 1 or 2 more times in.... As the back muscles strengthen..they give support to the head and then you will start to see some head lift. Once you get there you can start moving them to the floor...but get down in front of them and talk to them, place a mirror in front of them and don't expect it for a long time...if they need a break...roll them to their back...then once they are content again...roll them back to their tummy for a few minutes. Another trick to give them support at this stage (once on the floor) is to roll a small towel and place it lengthways under their arm pits...to support their chest. You may have to play with the size of towel and when you introduce this..if it is too early you will find that they really struggle to get their head up again. Remember this is a BIG job for them. Their head is REALLY heavy and they have just been introduced to gravity. A little bit every day will add up and you will see progress.

not sure about the leg thing but as far as the neck it sounds like she might have torticolis, which can happen due to birth trauma,or positioning in the womb, the muscles are too tight on one side and looking down to the other side is a symptom. I had my son checked for this early on as he would always turn his head to one side, but for him it was more preference and turning him around in his cot so his feet were at the other end helped, as did always putting toys on his other side. http://www.squidoo.com/infants-torticollis I think you should really see a physical therapist ASAP but can't help with recommending one sorry. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 21/08/2011</em>

How should I be supporting her head? Shes in her bouncer (doesnt have a pillow etc in it) or her gym (which is flat) or in our arms. When you're holding her, just let your hand take about 40% of the weight of her head to the back. If her muscles are weak, it's simply too much to expect her to hold her head up completely on her own, even if, by the book, she should be... she's just not doing things by the book. When she's doing tummy time, don't try to support her head at all, just angle her tummy platform so that she doesn't have to crane up, but can just look forward naturally. If it's only for a minute every hour or two, that's fine! Carry on having professional progress check-ups, just in case her leg-thing becomes more of an issue. If you have her in any kind of stand-up bouncer (where their feet touch the floor), adjust it so that both feet touch flat... although until she can support her head, don't put her in one.

Tania does she follow you if you stand in front of her and move around, and does she focus her gaze on YOU if she is lying down or in her bouncer and you are talking, smiling etc? I remember this check-up now, because DS didn't follow a pen when the Dr moved it across his field of vision, and didn't reach for it at whatever stage he "should" have done, but Dr wasn't worried because he would focus on me and flow me when I walked across the room etc. So it might be the same, that she is more interested in people than objects, and the dropping her head is probably neck strength issues (from lack of tummy time) rather than not wanting to focus?. DS had loads of tummy time from around the 3 week mark, in part because of the flat head at birth and also because he had reflux, so when he wasn't on his tummy he was in his mama's and papa's nest bouncer (which is an awesome bouncer/rocker) and only really ever on his back for sleeping. He consequently had a very strong neck very early on, and crawled at 5 months (which is good or bad, depending on whether you are the one pulling him out from under chairs and kitchen cupboards all day ;)) So tummy time def makes a difference. Has she been diagnosed as having low muscle tone at all?

My son developed a flat head as the maid would leave him lying down all day when I was at work so for us tummy time never worked as we could not trust that she was following our instructions. We also got a special pillow from the UK which was recommended which I think helped somewhat until he could turn over. We made the decision to have treatment for it as it was pretty severe and did not want to take the chance of leaving it to sort itself out in case it never did. We went to the Osteopathic Health Centre on Al Wasl Road and seen Heidi Tryland. She was great and now after 4 or 5 appointments his head shape is looking great and probably only needs a few more treatments. We noticed a difference after the first treatment. She charges AED350 per visit. Their number is 04 348 7366.

HI. I have 8 years of paediatric physiotherapy experience. I was going to post a long thread about things you could do but thought it might be easier to talk to you in person. You can email me at [email protected] if you would like to have another opinion. Another option would be to call Kids First on Al Wasl Rd by Umm Sequim. They are open over the summer and have paediatric PT's there too. For the others with little ones with flat heads.... a babies head will continue to reshape it self until it is 1 years old...it continues to shape and grow after that but at a much slower rate. Originally a lot of babies heads have flats spots b/c the do sleep on their backs...but should be playing on their tummies. Once the babies starting spending more time in positions other than their back their heads start reshaping...gravity starts to help out...that's whay kiwispiers you saw a change at 6 months. If you find that it is too one side more than the other look at how and where you position them in their rooms ..how you approach them, do they look at you from both sides....you really want that bald spot on the back of their head...it means they are looking back and forth...shaping their head and that is what is wearing the hair off their head..doesn't look pretty but their head is shaping nicely. As for a helmet...this is a HUGE investment not just in money but in time and really only works for children with really severe changes (eyes and ears on misaligned, etc) for flat spots...the a good orthotist will usually leave it to gravity and playing off their back. Increase your tummy time as you can! Good luck!

what are the 3 month milestones btw? is it holding head up stuff or something else?

To be honest a lot of babies have flat heads these days now that they are put on their backs to sleep. My guys was a bit flat on one side from birth, due to his position in the womb. It righted itself somewhat by around 6 months, and isn't that noticeable with hair. He now sleeps on his tummy, tummy time by day is the best you can do, and the helmet if it is really bad.

Hi ladies, i have the same concern as the original poster, my boy is 4months 4days old, and his backside of the head is flat, from the sides head has got height, im having sleepless nights since i've noticed it, is there anything that can be done, where all helmet treatment is available, what costs are we looking at, anything else that can be done? Im giving him loads of tummytime and making him sleep on his sides. Im feeling so guilty of not paying attention earlier, its my first baby and i feel like crying everytime i look at his headshape. Please help :(

DD also had a bit of a flat head and hated tummy time with a passion... funnily enough I was talking to a friend about this just a couple of nights ago. Anyhow, if your daughter seems to have trouble being comfy looking one way, take her to a cranial osteopath (they're oh-so-gentle) and they will probably be able to help free up her ligaments or whatever tightness may be holding her back. After that, pop her to lie down on the other side of her head - even better if she can't currently move it about much on her own! carry on doing tummy time, even if it's for a few minutes and don't forget, tummy time doesn't need to be flat on the floor. You could try propping her up, on her tummy, on your lap, so that she can either rest her head on your knees or look up and over your legs. Once she's sitting more (which goes hand in hand with strengthening her neck muscles), the flat head-shape will often right itself... and you're lucky that she's a girl, because even if it doesn't completely, hair will! If it's really, really pronounced, talk to your paed about getting a special helmet. <em>edited by Hello.Again.Kitty on 18/08/2011</em>

for tummy time, try putting her on her tummy with a DVD on so she has motivation to lift her head, sometimes reflux babies don't like tummy time (although mine loved it), there are helmets you can get too