My Baby's Head Developed a Flat Spot. Now What?
Authored by Sarah Kleinman, PT, DPT, Physical Therapist at The Village Therapy Place
There are many things that can cause a baby’s head to develop a flat spot (known as plagiocephaly in the medical world) including keeping a baby on his back for extended periods, torticollis, baby’s position in utero, to list a few.
What to do?
A visit to your pediatrician or a pediatric physical therapist is often the first (and best) place to address this concern. A baby’s flat head can usually be corrected by positioning and exercise.
Below are some tips that may help your baby .
Disclaimer: Please do not use these tips and suggestions in lieu of seeking professional attention.
1. Practice having your baby turn his head side to side to actively follow an object. You can use a music toy, a mirror, or best- your own face. It is good to practice looking more to the side that your baby does not favor, but it is important to keep practice looking all the way to both sides. If your baby is not actively tracking yet, you can position him on his side. Spend more time towards the side he is not favoring.
2. Reposition how you hold your baby. You can hold her in front facing outwards to encourage her head to be in midline. If you are holding her on your shoulder or your hip, make sure the side you are holding her on is encouraging her to look towards the side she does not prefer.
3. Change the way the baby’s environment is set up. Change his direction on the changing table as well as in the crib so that his is looking towards his non-preferred side to see his caregiver.
4. Minimize the time spent in containers. Containers often encourage a baby to rest in her preferred position and limit movement. Containers include, but are not limited to, bouncers, exersaucers, jumpers and swings. The best place for your baby to be is on the floor. Try to stick to using containers for 15 minutes twice per day.
5. Increase the amount of tummy time you are doing during the day. Tummy time is a wonderful way to help strengthen your baby’s neck and shoulders and encourage him to move his head side to side. If you are struggling with tummy time, check out our Tummy Time tips HERE!
Hopefully these tips will help you get started. It is important to seek out a qualified pediatric physical therapist to assess your baby and create a customized treatment plan to give you and your baby the best possible outcomes.
Who We Are:
We are The Village Therapy Place, a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy center located in Wyckoff, NJ- in Bergen County. We aim to provide integrative, neurodevelopmental, individualized, pediatric therapy in a warm, fun, and collaborative environment.
We offer pediatric services that include physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, feeding therapy, and DIR Floortime.
At The Village Therapy Place, we utilize current and evidence-based treatment techniques to help treat your child during his PT, OT, speech therapy, feeding therapy and DIR Floortime session. These include sensory integration, reflex integration, therapeutic listening, Kinesiotape, craniosacral therapy, NDT, BrainGym, feeding therapy, PROMPT, to name a few.
Our expert pediatric therapists offer a variety of treatment options, including 30/45/60 minute sessions, group classes, at home sessions and virtual therapy to best suit your child’s needs.
The pediatric physical therapists, occupational therapists & speech therapists at The Village Therapy Place are in constant contact with a child's caregivers to facilitate lasting change.
Call us today at (201) 201-8220 or email us at office@thevillagetherapyplace.com to speak with a pediatric expert who will help your child thrive!
