flat head

[jodiex]

jake has got REALLY flat head at the back. he hates tummy time but i still do it with him . ive just ordered a love nest piilow, just wondering if anyone has used one of these and do they work? ive asked the hv but she just says it will go back to normal, but im not so sure. he is 3months old. have anyone had any experience with this. xx

 

[jamiemyboy]

Didn't want to read and run, Darcy has a flat head on the side, my docs and HV said it will sortitself out, be interesting to see what other people say,

Your not on your own x

 

[doolittle]

yes, sadly we have experience here!
Owen had really bad flat head, HV said it would self correct, no improvement after few weeks infact it got worse. GP said she graded it mild to moderate and would refer to a peadeatrician. I then 'googled' and researched how the NHS treat this and didnt like what I read, so booked a private consultation. Owens head actually measured severe, and we decided to pay and have helmet therapy. We are 7 weeks into treatment and his head has corrected nearly half way, he doesnt mind the hemet at all and still sleeps 11+ hrs a night wearing it! Another 2 months and it will be off.
Dont beleive GPs or HV when they say it will self correct, some babies do to an extent, but the majority dont and early treatment is the best if thats what you choose.
x

 

[jodiex]

thanks for your reply. ive read about the helmets and wen i mentioned this to the hv she sed that there was no evidence that it worked. but ive read that these have helped a lot of babies. can i ask how old was ur baby wen u started the treatment. xx

 

[redpoppy]

It's nonsense gthat it corrects itself. It can if babies spend more time on teh other sie of theri heads or on their fronts but if not then you grow up with a pretty flat head.

I used the love nest pillow and it worked great till she started squirming off it at night and now she has a little bit of a flat head. It's not too bad though and I think with a full head of hair she wont look too odd.

If the baby stays in the pillow I think it works.

 

[doolittle]

Owen was 6.5 months when we started, his beginning measurement was 20mm difference between either side of his head, and in 7 weeks we are down to 12mm, so they definatley work!
A 'normal' head is anything upto 6mm, although with a helmet if you chose to you can try and acheive 0mm, so perfectly symetrical, depends how long you want them to wear the band and how perfect you want to achieve.
Just so you are aware, flathead isnt just about cosmetic appearance, many babies have and will continue into adulthood with uneven eyes and ears, and dentition/jaw misallignment which can cause all manor of problems like migraines etc. Dont want to scare u, but wish I had known all of this earlier.
HV and GPs dont like to admit flathead is a problem as they are worried parents will revert to tummy sleeping, and we all know this isnt recommended!
Good luck whatever you chose, and more questions please ask, or take a look at the LOCband website
x

 

[doolittle]

Another good point raised, girls can grow their hair and flathead wont be noticable most of their life, whereas most boys/men want short hair which makes it noticable. As i said its not just about cosmetics, depends how severe the problem is as to whether eyes/ears/jaw is affected!

 

[jodiex]

im hoping the pillow will work. if not im going to use the helmet, as it is so bad. i took a photo the other day and actually cried at how bad it was.

 

[doolittle]

Try not to worry its still early days, once they spend more time sitting it can correct to some extent. If you choose helmet treatment, be aware its not cheap. Think all companies charge around £2000

 

[jodiex]

i wish i had known earlier about this aswell. i didnt know that it can cause problems wen they are older! im going to book a private consultation and get a helmet for him before its too late. thanks for letting me know. xx

 

[pinktaffy]

i have a pillow for my little girl they r fab. only trouble is now she wont sleep without it hehe.

i didnt get it for flathead syndrome although it does have that all over the box. i got mine cos she suffers with allergies and somtimes shes so blocked up in her nose she chokes on snot. and i was told that if shes raised up it will stop it and it has worked.

i would really recomend them. i have the clevermama one

 

[doolittle]

let us know how u get on x

 

[jodiex]

yea i will let u know how i get on. sorry to be a pain but ive heard these helmets have got to be worn 23 hours a day. do u no if it would work if i only put it on for a bit and then use that pillow that ive ordered. xx

 

[doolittle]

no the helmets do need to be worn for 23hrs a day, they prevent the 'larger' side of the ehad from growing anymore, but allow growth on the 'flat' side, so not wearing them all the time would allow unwanted growth in the wrong area.
they really are no trouble for babies to wear, and will work better and faster the more they are worn x

 

[jodiex]

thanks. im going on the internet to see if i can find a number to book him in. hopefully its not to late. xx

 

[RJsMum]

I have read this that in the UK HVs and GPs will most always say it will correct itself and very rarely does it do it on its own without the help of a corrective helmet. The sad thing is although people say "oh it won't show with their hair" etc, you have to think long-term with how it will affect them when they wear hats, caps, and helmets.

Some people have even put testaments online where they say they were a flat-headed baby and parents didn't take any corrective measures and now they can't find bike helmets, etc that will fit their head.

I'm sure this is in more severe cases...but I would say better to be safe than sorry and ask for a referral. The last thing you want is for your LO coming to you as a teenager/young adult asking why their head is still a bit flat/mishapen.

The earlier on you do it, the sooner you will notice results.

 

[jodiex]

it makes me really mad that hv and docs tell us not to worry when it can cause problems. ive booked an appointment with jakes paedotrition (havnet got a clue how its spelled. lol.) so going to see what he says. xx

 

[jamiemyboy]

Just done lots of research and tehn came and looked at the other posts and i'm shocked, As you say in most cases it doesn't correct itself, as Darcy's head isn't too bad at the moment i'm going to try a pillow and see if that helps.

Trust the NHS, how can they brush it under the carpet like that!
Thanks for you help guys
xx

 

[jodiex]

i no ive just been doing some research and the things i have read really shocked me! ill mention what ive read to my hv. she most prob wont take ne notice tho! but i think they need to be more willing to help ppl whose babies have got flat heads. thank you to everyone who has helped in this thread and i hope that other ppl who are worried will read this thread and do something rather than listen to hv and docs. xx

 

[doolittle]

just to make you all aware, the NHS does treat a very small percentage of babies, there is only one consultant in the UK and he is based in Bristol, but he will only treat very severe babies. The method they use to obtain the mould for the helmet is pretty horrible IMO, they sedate the babies and the parent then has to physically restrain the baby so that it doesnt move at all for ten minutes whilst the mould is made.
The private companies use hand held scanners and the baby doesnt need sedating, and can sit on parents lap for the few seconds it takes.
The £2000 privately may be pricey, but I would sooner pay that than have the memories of pinning my child down whilst it was upset!
Anyway, good luck to all of you who are worrying about babies heads, I hope they improve on their own soon!
x