Ask the Doctor: Flattened head syndrome

(WWLP) - There have been several reports on an increase in the number of babies with flattening of the backs of their heads over the past few years.

22News spoke with Pediatrician Dr. Michael Posner about why this is happening.

Response: Yes, there have been reports and I'm sure that many parents and grandparents have asked their pediatricians about this recently. The problem began when it became clear that babies who slept on their abdomens, face down, were at substantially greater risk for sudden infant death or SIDS. SIDS is a major cause of death of healthy babies in the first year
of life. Consequently a strong recommendation went out from numerous organizations, that babies only sleep on their backs. Continuing pressure on the back of the head, especially if a baby prefers one side of the head down, may lead to dramatic flattening of the head over time. One medical center studying the problem estimates a six-fold increase in this problem since the early 1990s.

What can a parent do to prevent this from happening?

Response: Recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics were been released in a formal way back in 2003. There are two major recommendations. The first is to prevent babies from getting used to having their head down on one side only. Parents are advised to move a very young baby's head so it to rests on alternate sides each time the baby is put down. It encourages the baby to do this if the most interesting views from the crib are alternated. The other major move is to start regularly placing the baby on his stomach from the beginning. when a parent can be watching the baby directly, preferably when the baby is awake and active. A sleeping baby should never be left alone on his stomach.

Is there anything a parent can do if they notice the flattening happen?

Response: By all means tell your pediatrician at your routine visits. There are a couple of rare conditions that may look like this, and in some babies a tight neck muscle can contribute. But in most cases the treatment is the same as the preventive method, and works well if begun by six or seven months of age. A recently published article in a head and face surgery journal brought the subject up again by suggesting that there might be a connection between head flattening on the side and ear infection. I read the article and it is clear that these babies are not statistically more likely to have ear infections than babies who don't have the condition. The head flattening is not dangerous, can be prevented, and often gets better on its own once babies develop some control of their neck muscles.