Flat Head Syndrome has been on the rise since the 1990’s, correlating specifically with the “Back to Sleep” campaign in which parents are advised to put their baby to sleep on their backs to reduce the risks of SIDS.
Flat Head Syndrome, or positional plagiocephaly is not a dangerous condition. It can be confused with other more serious conditions so it is something to watch however, if you are taking your baby to his/her well baby check ups, your pediatrician will definitely check out your baby’s head and will let you know if it is more serious. Generally though, positional pagiocephaly is caused by too much pressure being placed on one part of the babies soft head for too long.
We Don’t Like to Hold Our Kids
While it is true that flat head syndrome started rising in correlation with parents being instructed to put babies on their backs to sleep, I think that the part of the real culprit is that we have so many things to put our babies down in. If you think about it, you really don’t have to hold your baby at all during the day other than to feed them. That sounds horrible right? I’m sure you’re thinking, “of course I hold my baby, this is ridiculous.” Is it? Do you have a stroller? A bouncy seat? A swing? A crib? A car seat/carrier? Then chances are good that you’re not holding your baby enough to prevent flat head syndrome. Babies heads are rather soft and mold easily so really, holding your baby as much as possible not only prevents flat head syndrome but has numerous other benefits as well.
Treatment of Flat Head Syndrome
There really is not a treatment of flat head syndrome–the issue is mostly cosmetic and you really shouldn’t worry if your baby’s head is a little misshapen. On the other hand, if you’re very concerned that he seemingly has a flat spot on the back of his head that won’t go away, then make a conscientious effort to hold him more, and within several months it will return to normal.