Flat spot/r e f u s a l to turn head other way… thoughts?

[mercychild]

Next pediatrician visit isn’t until 5/4. Last visit she pointed out a flat spot and I mentioned baby had a very obvious favor for turning her head one way. I hold baby other direction, we do tummy time every wake window for 15-20 minutes.
What I’m searching for is a pillow or device that holds babies head looking straight up during sleep, or any way to get her head turned the other direction?
I try withholding bottle unless she turns the right way.
I try propping her head specific ways with a rolled up burp cloth.
I hold her on the opposite side.
If she’s on my chest, in the crib, in the car seat… she turns that head. Only when she’s asleep or laying on her back.

Advice…? Similar experiences…? Suggestions on products or things to say to dr.?

 

[tictacx]

@mercychild Please do not put something in the crib to hold the baby’s head a certain way while she is sleeping. That is not safe.

You should get a referral to PT for torticollis. They’ll teach you exercises to do with baby to help strengthen the neck muscles. Some things we did for our daughter: feeding her on her non-preferred side, switching which direction we laid her down for naps, doing contact naps or baby carrier naps and making sure she was facing the non-preferred direction, turning her head the other way once she had fallen into a deep sleep.

 

[mraaron]

@mercychild It sounds like your baby has torticolis, you should as for a referral to see a physical therapist. My pediatrician also pointed out my baby had a flat spot and kept saying to do more tummy time, he was doing about an hour a day but the flat spot wasn’t improving as much because the issue was at night my LO would rest his head on one side. At 3 months I asked for a referral to see a physical therapist. Not to concern you but at his 4 month visit the pediatrician made a recommendation to see a neurosurgeon to see about getting a cranial helmet. My LO started wearing his helmet last week he turns 6 months tomorrow. When I had the consult with the neurosurgeon he said I could put a bag of rice under my LO shoulder to get his head to look the other way while he’s sleeping, the PT also mentioned the tortle beanie. I wish I would have known about these things before it was too late so I hope this helps!

 

[suemariejudith]

@mercychild Definitely sounds like torticollis. Please go see a physical therapist. They will recommend stretches and exercises for your baby to do to improve their range of motion.

 

[bumbum2017]

@mercychild We had a flat spot and around 2 months saw a Physio therapist who gave us lots of great activities/exercises to do with the baby. All of them only a few times a day for a couple of minutes so nothing overwhelming. The flat spot resolved itself by 6 months. I only really had to “heavily” intervene for a few weeks and then LO started using both sides more equally.

 

[henriettag]

@mercychild +1 for requesting a referral from your pediatrician to see a physical therapist. My son was diagnosed with torticollis and plagiocephaly at his 1 month appointment. We had a hard time getting an appointment for his PT evaluation, so it wasn’t until he was 2 months old that he got seen. The therapist recommended that we stretch his neck at every diaper change (she showed us how) and that he get plenty of tummy time to strengthen his neck muscles. He is 5.5 months now and has completed PT. His flat spot has noticeably rounded out so now it is very mild. It might not be perfect but we avoided the helmet.

 

[andreea777]

@mercychild My daughter had a mild preferance but not a torticoli. I tried to have her attention always on the side. If I put her in her vibrant chair, I would put the chair so she had to turn her head to look at us.

When I put her on her back to play, I always played on the same side.

I also used baby sensories on Youtube, throw me rocks. I put her on my lap and hold her so she would hold her head and have no pressure.

I used to sacrifice my sleep to turn her head when she was in deep sleep.
I am someone that wake a lot during the night so each wake I would try to turn her head. Or wait 15 minuts and try again.
*Do not try more than 2 times in a row or your baby will wake up!
1 time is fine, 2 times is riskier, the 3rd time you fail.

I used a sit me up chair to play with her even though she could not stay long

During playtime I had a mini crib mattress, a firm one but not a SUPER firm one. I saw some people let their baby play on their back on a simple play mat. It is a little soft but so much harder than a mattress.

Finally, throw me rocks again. At 2.5 MO I started to let her nap on her tummy. NAP ONLY. And she was ALWAYS on my sight. I don't recommend but I still did it. Our pediatrician said it was okay under supervision only so I did.
Or else I had to wait like 15-20 min before I could turn her head and sometimes it still didn't work. If you add all those 15 minuts, it helps a LOT after a month.

At 7MO we don't talk about it anymore. I still am cautious but it's not a concern anymore. Also my baby is VERY active and she already sits on her own.

 

[kat7]

@mercychild You should go to PT as soon as possible, they will give you exercises to make this better. My LO had this and we ended up doing a helmet to fix the flat spot and I’m so happy we did.

Definitely strongly recommend against putting anything at all in the crib to keep their head a certain way, that can be a suffocation hazard.

If you ped isn’t helping you with the PT rec, just do it yourself and same on the helmet if you can noticeably see the flat spot. If we had started earlier, our results would’ve been better and would’ve been WAY faster. At 3 no the wear time is like 6 weeks. At 7 months the wear time was 4 months.

 

[romans_5]

@mercychild Please do not use one of the plagio pillows your talking about not only do they not work, they typically make flathead (plagiocephaly or brachycephaly) worse as they restrict the movement even more. What your baby needs is physical therapy.

 

[wollwerth]

@mercychild +1 for torticollis my son has this as well. Please don’t do anything in the crib to position his head, get a referral for Early Intervention or a physical therapist. They’ll teach you how to stretch/exercise baby so they loosen up and turn their head the other way naturally!!!!

 

[reina85]

@mercychild I know some people frown upon it, but I took our son to a pediatric chiropractor. No, they don’t do adjustments or anything of the like. She just feels his jaw muscles and neck muscles for any tightness and does kind of a vibration with her fingers to release it. It has really helped.

 

[jluponeage]

@mercychild That’s a job for a physical therapist, not a pillow that could also be deadly. You may be able to refer yourself through Early Intervention services in your state, or you can call your doctor and try to get a referral through them.