After the baby is born, many older generations will recommend giving the baby a "sleeping head". They will think that the baby's head must be flat to make it look better. In some places, the flat head is a symbol of blessing, but this This kind of "aesthetic" is not necessarily acceptable to all parents, so now the parents who deliberately give the baby a "sleeping head" are basically fewer and fewer.

But some parents may still find that even if they didn’t deliberately sleep for the baby,But the baby seems to fall asleep and the head still tends to become flat and oblique. What should I do?Don't worry, in this article today, we will share with parents what time the baby's head can be shaped and what to do if the baby's head shape is flat or inclined.

XNUMX. What factors affect the baby's head shape? When will it be finalized?

First of all, when the baby is born, the head shape will have a different shape, mainly because the baby's head will be unevenly squeezed from various aspects when passing through the mother's birth canal. Especially when babies born in the vagina pass through the narrow birth canal, the head will be squeezed, and the head may be elongated and deformed, which causes the shape of the newborn baby's head to look a bit strange.

Secondly, another key factor affecting the baby's head shape is the baby's sleeping posture. For example, if the baby sleeps with the head tilted for a long time, the head shape may become oblique.

So when will the baby's head shape be fixed?

Parents can feel that there are two soft areas on the top of the newborn baby’s head. This is because the newly born baby’s skull is not yet fully developed, so there is a gap between the bone and the bone. There is a gap between the top of the baby’s head and At the back of the pillow, there are two areas that are not covered by bones, which are called "anterior fontanelle" and "posterior fontanelle", respectively. The bregma usually closes naturally within 3 months after the baby is born, while the bregma generally closes within 1 XNUMX/XNUMX years of the baby's birth.

Generally speaking, after the fontanelle is closed, the baby's head shape is basically fixed, and it will be more difficult to change.That is to say, at least in the first year of the baby's birth, their head shape has room for "rescue", even if the baby's head shape is skewed or even deformed during this time period, there is a way to do it Correct accordingly.

XNUMX. How to judge whether the baby's head is normal or abnormal?

In general, the normal head shape of the baby is that the entire head is rounded from all directions, and the left and right sides of the head shape are also symmetrical and natural.

Parents can refer to the following pictures, which are babies3 months, 6 months, 9 monthsNormal head shape at the time:

The common deformed head types of babies are mainly the following:

• Plagiocephaly:Looking at the baby's head shape from the top of the head, the left and right sides of the back of the head look asymmetrical. The picture below is normal from left to right → the illustration of the oblique head deformity.

• Flat head deformity (brachycephaly):That is, the flat head of the back of the head that many older people like. Refer to the picture below. Parents can clearly observe the degree of the flat head of the baby's head from the side. The deformity is also more serious toward the right.

• Scaphocephaly:Looking at the baby's head from the top of the head, you can see that it is a narrow and long oval. Referring to the figure below, the left side is the normal head type, the more severe the head deformity is to the right.

Here are two comparison charts of the normal head shape, oblique head, flat head and long head of the baby:

(Image Source:https://www.cranialtech.com/my-babys-head-shape/）

XNUMX. How to prevent baby's head deformity?

After watching the pictures of the baby's head deformity above, do my parents feel a little nervous? In fact, parents should not worry too much. First of all, the baby's head deformity mainly affects the appearance of the appearance, and generally does not affect the baby's brain development. Secondly, even if the parents find that the baby's head is showing signs of "deformity", they can timely "remediate" by adjusting the baby's sleeping posture or seeking a professional doctor for treatment.

Of course, in order to prevent the baby's head shape from developing in the direction of deformity, parents should do the following to prevent in advance:

1. Pay attention to changing the sleeping position of the baby

If you find that your baby likes to lean to one side for a long time, it is likely to have asymmetrical head shape on both sides, so if parents find that the baby likes to lean to one side, they should pay attention to timely adjustments and corrections. process. Most babies are actually very smart. Whether they sleep on their backs, on their sides or on their stomachs, they know they have changed their direction.

2. Do not use pillows for babies within 3 months

Some mothers may want to use a variety of shaped pillows to help the baby sleep with a "flat head", but in fact, when the newborn baby is lying down, the back and head are at the same level, and the neck and back muscles naturally relax. The use of pillows by newborns will affect the development of the baby's head and neck.

3. Often change the posture of holding the baby

Don't always use the same posture when feeding, you can change the left and right direction to feed your baby. When the baby is awake, parents can also try to hug the baby vertically or horizontally (pay attention to holding the baby's neck by hand), this can also reduce the pressure on the baby's head, for the normal development of the baby's head type It is also advantageous.

4. Do more tummy time when your baby is awake What is the tummy time that American pediatricians require babies to do every day?

Tummy time can not only exercise the muscles of multiple parts of the baby's body, promote the development of the baby's athletic ability, but also prevent the baby from having a flat head. Parents all know that in order to reduce the risk of SIDS, American authoritative childcare institutions, including AAP, usually recommend that newborns sleep on their backs, but long-term sleep on their backs may cause the baby’s head to become flat, so the baby cannot be 24 Lying down for hours and lying down when you are awake can make your baby's head look more beautiful.

Some parents may also ask how old can the baby do tummy time? The earlier the tummy time starts, the better. The first day after a healthy newborn baby born at the full term returns home from the hospital, you can actually practice tummy time!

新生宝宝刚开始做tummy time时间也不用很长，每天2到3次，每次3到5分钟就够了。之后等宝宝慢慢适应习惯了可以再逐渐加长时间。每天让宝宝趴一趴，一直到宝宝6、7个月大学会翻身、爬行的时候为止。

PS about how parents guide the baby to do tummy time

Fourth, the treatment of baby's head deformity-helmet correction treatment

When parents pay attention to the above Tips, the baby's head shape may still develop in the direction of "imperfection", and even have a tendency to deform. At this time, parents need to go to the pediatrician for professional head Type of correction therapy, the most commonly used by doctors is Helmet Therapy.

The best period of time for helmet correction treatment is from 4 months to 12 months, because during this period, the baby's skull grows faster and it is also easier to correct. After reaching the age of one, the baby's skull will not grow so fast, and the fontanelle is also closed. The head shape will be fixed soon, so if you correct it with a helmet after the age of one, the effect may not be particularly significant.

Doctors will usually recommend a suitable helmet after evaluating the shape of the baby’s head deformity and the severity of the deformity. Each baby’s head shape is different, so this corrective helmet is basically customized for the baby’s head. "of. The corrective helmet does not squeeze the baby's head. The principle is to even out the pressure on the baby's head, stabilize the circular area of ​​the baby's skull, and leave room for growth recovery for other parts.

How long the baby needs to wear the corrective helmet depends on the specific situation of the baby's head improvement. Generally speaking, if it is short, it can be corrected for 1 to 2 months. If it is more serious, it may take 3 to 4 months or even longer. Under normal circumstances, doctors will require babies to wear corrective helmets for 23 hours a day, basically all day long. They can be taken off when taking a bath.

Although the pictures of all kinds of head deformities look really terrible, but this is not a matter of two days a day. Parents usually pay more attention to observe carefully, adjust the sleeping position of the baby in time, there will not be too much problem. If you find that your baby's head is flat and skewed, you can go to the doctor in time and seek professional help and treatment.