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Baby Hints & Tips

Helping Baby with a flat spot on head

flat spot baby headMy 15 week old keeps sleeping on his back with his head facing the same side. I try and face his head the other way so he doesn’t get a flat spot but each night he just positions himself back on his favourite side. He is facing the wall he is next to in the bassinet so it’s not like he’s facing me in bed. Anyone else with the same problem? What did you do?

Read more about encouraging tummy time

**Check with your doctor if you are at all concerned**

  •  We took our daughter to a paediatric osteopath & after a few sessions she was fine. Turned out one side was really tight so it was uncomfortable to face the other way.   Steph
  •  Try switching him to the other end of the bassinet, that way he will turn his head to the other side, he may just be comfortable sleeping facing the wall.   Jade
  •  His neck maybe out. Get him checked with a Chiro.   Gabrielle
  •  Go to a baby physio and they will do some stretches and he will be good in a few weeks. We had the same issue but dont leave it too long.. Maria
  •  I just swapped what end his feet were at and found that because he liked looking I one area he continued to look there and slept on the other side of his head. I wouldn’t recommend putting anything under or around their heads due to SIDS. Megan
  •  I have just finished physio with my son who also had this. It is called torticollis. Stretching the neck in certain ways to help strengthen it. My son is fine now.   Amanda
  •  Get a head shaper pillow.   Nicole
  •  Someone I know had the same prob with their baby. They actually took him to a paediatric physio and found the muscles on the side of his neck that he was not turning his head to, were quite tight. With some gentle manipulation over time the baby was able to turn head both ways. It was called tortocollus. (I think).   Sonia
  •  Try putting him at the other end of the bassinet if you can (i never used one so not sure if that’s viable). Otherwise I’ve heard of putting a nappy under the side of his head to discourage him laying on that side.  Miki
  •  My bub is 19 weeks old and I had no idea about getting a flat head until I went for bubs check up and it was getting severe so we actually bought a flat head pillow which works great. We also turned the basinette around so he turned his head other way. Alot of tummy time during the day and when laying on play mat or such put toys to the non favored side so he would turn to look that way. Now his head has evened out.   Cassi
  •  For those interested in the head rest pillows we got ours online from babyheadrest.com. Carissa
  •  Might not work as he’s not a newborn but you could try rolling up cloth nappy a put it under his back on one side so that he faces the way you want then alternate sides. Be sure he doesn’t roll onto his front though.   Andrea
  •  Turn the bassinet around. So if he likes facing the wall he will turn.   Emma
  •  Just turn his head to the other side when he’s asleep. My son did this so when he was awake and I had housework to do etc I would lay him down in front of the TV so he was laying with his head on the other side, if that makes sense. Ellie
  •  Roll up a towel and prop their back to face the way you want them. Bianca
  •  Chiro! Amazing help.   Lauren
  •  Try a towel under his favorite side so he carnt turn his head that way.   Tash
  •  My bub did the same …turns out she had torticollis , (shortened muscles in her neck ) go to your dr and check it out…or he will get a flat spot and maybe need a helmet:(I got it sortede before bub needed a helmet with physio.   Lisa
  •  My son was the same and now has a flat spot. I took him to a physio and they have me same tips. Turn him the other way in the bassinet so his other side is facing the wall. Also maybe angle/tilt his mattress so he is forced to face the other side And thru the day try a lot of tummy time to avoid him laying on his head all day. Hope this helps.   Nikki
  •  Put his head at the other end of the bassinet it will encourage him to turn his head the other way. When awake give him plenty of time off his back during tummy time and sitting more upright in things like bumbo, swing, pram etc.   Alicia
  •  Turn the bassinette 180degrees and see if that helps.   Melissa
  •  Turn the bassinet around. He’ll face the wall lying on the other side of his head.   Kate
  •  Dont turn the bassinet the other way just turn the baby around. Much easier. If he still goes to the same side try a wedge. Rebecca
  •  My little boy did this, I seen an Osteopath, I also got a love pillow, it’s flat with a whole in it to help prevent flat spot, lots of Tummy time. Osteo gave me a big gym ball to lay him on his belly and rock to help strength muscle, it’s all worked.    Melinda
  • My 12 wk old seemed to be developing a flat spot so I went to baby bunting and bought a baby head rest. It was $39.95 but the same brand is cheaper on eBay. After one week I my husband and I both noticed her head shape had completely changed! Amazing! Completely worth the $40.   Annelie
  •  Paed chiro highly rec.   Amanda
  • Put a mirror or other engaging object on the non-preferred side of his bassinet to encourage him to look that way. Also, make sure he gets plenty of tummy time when he’s awake (most of his awake time he should be in his tummy). This can be on the floor, on your lap, anywhere that’s safe. Being carried in different positions is also important.   Marina
  •  They are drawn to light so face his cot so he has turn to the other side to see the window or some form of light.   Jennifer
  •  Chiropractor help my girl some thing.   Lee
  •  My bub favoured one side also. She started to develop a bit of a flat spot so Dr suggested popping something like a folded cloth nappy under her head on the side she favoured so it would encourage her to roll her head to the other side. She eventually grew out of it too as she became more mobile.   Nicolee
  •  Cheeky little monkey! Mine did the same, did all I could to hey her lay the other way when playing on the floor etc as she just turned back when I did it at night. By the time I ordered pillow and looked into physios she’d started moving it more herself and really didn’t have a ‘flat spot. Please be careful seeing chiro’s or physios, I would only do this on the recommendation of a good pedestrian and get them to refer you to one they know is good!!   Lu
  •  He will sleep his head to the side in which you enter the room or sleep beside him. If you just flip him or his bed around so he’s facing the other end of his bed he’ll start sleeping on the other side of his head and even it out. Keep alternating like this every few weeks and Make sure he has plenty of awake time on his back. This is what the midwives told us to do.   Katey
  •  Take him to a baby chiropractor – works wonders! We took our bub as she was forceps.   Atiah
  •  My 4mnth did the same. Chiropractor helped heaps. I have to wedge her so she alternates. I also would try getting her to face her other side while awake like toys, sound, light. My Baby had a tight neck from birth so this helped stretch her out. Heaps better now. Kim
  •  I wouldn’t stress about it we all sleep on our favorite side, my son did the same and he had a flat spot so I bought a mije head pillow from the baby shops or chemist it’s made from memory foam keeps their head aligned and if your baby turns his head it won’t get a flat spot, I used it when he laid under his mat and I put it in his swing and pram. The flat spot disappeared straight away and he is now 3 and has a perfect shaped head. Alanna
  •  Even though I note you said bubs is facing wall, the advice I was give was that babies usually turn to face the centre of the room so if you’re unsuccessful turning baby from side to side turn bassinet instead. Your bub may like to face the wall rather than centre of room but turning bassinet may still work…   Jacqui

What did you do to minimise a flat spot on babies head, comment below?

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