baby has flathead | Imamother

amother

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 1:28 am

My baby is bh 4 & 1/2 months old & has flat head. the doc told me to keep him off his back a lot. he has tummy time but gets bored quick even w toys. I put him to sleep on his side but he always ends up on his back. car seat,stroller...also on back. its impossible to always keep him off that part of his head. what else is there to do? im frustrated b/c doc only told me this after he was 2 months Sad

if they woulda told me earlier maybe could have been prevented.

Dev80

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 5:01 am

I also wasn't so amazing about tummy time and baby still isn't obsessed with it. We got an exersaucer when he was four months and its amazing! It entertains him like crazy and I feel good that he's not on his back all day. I put him in for like 20 minutes at a time, 2 or 3 times a day. They are kind of expensive so maybe you can borrow one to try out if he'll like it (that's what we did)

sped

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 5:32 am

An exersaucer is not a substitute for being on the stomach. There are lots of things to do. Try having him on his stomach a few minutes at a time and pick him up - before he cries. then put him down again. Sit with him so he can see you. Be very entertaining! Lay him across your lap when you are sitting so his hands are hanging down. Place toys flat in front of him so he doesn't need to strain his head back to see them.
Does he keep his head up?

dimples

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 9:06 am

I had the same problem as you, I kept my baby on his back all the time and as a result his head was completely flat. and an exersaucer is not the solution, it will just make him stiff if he is in it the whole day.

First of all, you should get him used to being on his stomach. start with five minutes increments 2x a day and gradually increase it to 10, the goal being tummy time for 20 minutes about 2 times a day minimum. He may cry in the beginning because he is not used to supporting himself but it will strengthen his muscles so that he will be able adequately support his head.

As for the flat head, the only way to reverse that is by getting an orthotic helmet. Now is the time to do it, the longer you wait there is less of a chance in reversing the shape as his skull will harden. If you live in the ny area I have an excellent orthotist that I will gladly recommend to you. By the way, the helmet is really not a big deal, it is very lightweight and after a few days your baby will be completely used to it! Most insurances cover it in NY and you can get it for free through early intervention which is what we did. Feel free to PM me with any questions, good luck!

amother

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 9:51 am

Op here baby is very good at tummy time he picks up his head & rolled over by 3 months. I do keep him on his stomach a lot but its only possible to do when we r home. I know abt the helmet but would like to avoid it. maybe ill ask doc abt it at r next visit which wont b till he 6 months old. whats an exasaucer? thanks for the suggestions

mommyla

Wed, Feb 01 2012, 10:41 am

My son had a flat head too. My doctor told me that if I wanted to avoid a helmet he needs to have tummy time for 2 hours (!) a day (not all at once, obviously). My son hated tummy time. But I did it - two minutes here, five minutes there. And once he was old enough for the exersaucer that made a huge difference because he was able to play without lying on his back.

http://www.overstock.com/Baby/.....p;kw={keyword}

That's an exersaucer - the baby "stands" upright in a fabric seat surrounded by toys and he can turn in all directions. My son was crazy about it. Once he started spending time in it his head really straightened out. But it's not a substitute for tummy time, you'll need to use both.

See if you can borrow an exersaucer from someone - they're a bit expensive, very bulky if you don't have storage space, and outgrown in a few months (once your baby's feet are flat on the bottom, even on the highest setting, he's too big for it).