You must know of our Desi mothers and grandmothers’ obsession with a baby’s round head. Being a Pakistani, this is not a new thing for us. A baby’s round and perfectly formed head is associated with the mother’s abilities to raise the baby well.
If you are a new mother, you must feel exhausted from taking care of your baby. You must feel like you will fail at raising your baby. Well, you don’t need to worry at all. I’m here to help you educate yourself at making your baby’s head round all on your own.
Let’s explore how a baby’s head should look like, when to worry, and how to make the baby’s head round.
Table of Contents
What Does a Normal Baby Head Look Like?
A newly born baby’s head is very soft. You may find two spots on your baby’s head, which help the baby’s relatively large head to easily pass through the narrow birth canal. These spots are called ‘Fontanels’.
These spots are there because the skull bones haven’t fully grown yet. They also accommodate your baby’s rapidly growing brain during infancy.
Your baby’s head shape changes after birth as a result of pressure on the back of the head when the baby lies on the back. This isn’t anything to worry about. Your baby’s head shape changes are completely normal.
Why Do the Baby’s Head Appear Uneven?
Most baby head shape issues are temporary and go away by themselves. Some babies may need a bit of help to gently mold their head shape. Let’s know first why the baby’s head shape appears uneven.
Birth Mode
The birth mode can significantly affect your baby’s head shape, when they first pass through the birth canal and come into the world. If you were in labor for a long time, or if you opt for vaginal or cesarean delivery, all of these factors might contribute to your baby’s head shape after birth.
If you see a grown-up’s skull, you will notice that it is made up of several bones, fused together to look like one. A newborn baby’s skull is made up of loosely joined bones, which help in the baby’s normal birth so that they don’t get stuck in the birth canal.
This is why your baby’s head might look a little squished if you’ve had a long labor or if you have a vaginal birth.
If you have a Cesarean section, your baby will likely have a more rounded head. This is because they don’t have to struggle through a narrow canal. But it can still appear uneven if you gave birth before time.
Baby Positions
Research shows that making your baby sleep on their back is the safest way to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However, making a baby sleep on his/her back may temporarily change their head shape. You may notice that when your baby is 2 months old, their head may look a little flat. It depends on how the baby prefers to sleep.
A baby can temporarily get a flattened head from:
- Sleeping on back
- Spending too much time lying in a car seat, stroller, or rocker during the day
- Preferring to always sleep with their head turned to one side
- Keeping the neck muscles tight, to turn their head to one side only
Birth Defects
Remember those loosely joined bones we talked about earlier? Well, they don’t completely fuse together until your baby is about 2 years old. That’s a good thing, actually. These flexible bones let your baby’s brain develop and grow normally.
According to the top reviewed pediatrician in Karachi, Dr. Syed Uzair Maqsood “Some birth defects can happen when these bones join too early. This can lead to abnormal brain development. This condition is called Craniosyntosis. It leads to changes in the baby’s head shape.”
When to Worry about a Baby’s Head Shape?
Newborns who have strange head shapes from their birth journey normally don’t need any treatment at all. Bumps and swelling go away within 2 weeks as the head bones slide back into place. However, if any birth defect happens, the baby’s head shape may change. A need for concern arises when:
- The head grows longer and narrower, which is a birth condition called Scaphocephaly
- The baby may have a flatter forehead on one side, which can also lead to changes in the eyes and face
- The baby’s head might be wide and short, which is a condition called Brachycephaly
- The baby’s head may be too flat at the back
- The baby’s head may look triangular, narrow in the front and wider in the back
How to Make a Baby’s Head Round at Home?
The earlier you take steps to maintain your baby’s head shape i.e within 1-2 months of life, the earlier your baby can have a round head.
A baby’s head is easily molded. Know how to care for flat spots.
Sleeping Time
Infants should always be placed on their back to sleep. Modify their sleeping position by placing your baby’s head at opposite ends of the crib on alternate nights. If your baby has a nice, rounded head shape, make sure to alternate their sleep position so that they do not develop asymmetry or a flattened area.
If your baby has a habit of lying on the flat side, put toys and other things of interest in a place that your baby must turn away from his/her flat side to see.
Rearrange the furniture in your baby’s room. Even very young babies are attracted to a light source and will try to turn their heads towards a window.
Babies naturally want to turn towards their parents. If your baby sleeps in your room, position the crib so that he or she must turn away from the flat side to see you.
Position your baby’s crib so that he or she must turn away from the flat side to see the open room. Make the wall on the side of the head that is flat blank and uninteresting
Play Time
The more time your baby can spend on his or her tummy, the better!
Putting your baby on his or her stomach several times a day helps strengthen neck control and prevents a misshapen head. Get down on the floor at your baby’s eye level and play peek-a-boo, etc. Choose toys that are stimulating for your baby when they are on their tummy.
Reduce the amount of time your baby spends in car seats, carriers, swings, or devices that allows your baby to rest on the back of the head.
Feeding Time
Alternate the arm in which your baby is held for both breast and bottle feeding. When feeding, encourage your baby to turn their head opposite the preferred side. You must read about the benefits of breastfeeding that are amazing for your baby.
Diaper Changing Time
You must change your baby’s diaper from the side opposite the flattened side. It makes your baby turn their head to look at you.
Traveling Time
If your baby has a flattened head area, you can place a small rolled up towel or receiving blanket behind your baby’s shoulder while traveling. It helps keep them off of the flattened side.
Move the car seat to the side of the car that encourages your baby to turn their head towards the window and away from the flattened side
Time in strollers or rockers should be kept to a minimum.
Takeaway!
Take your baby to all their regular check-ups with your pediatrician. The head shape can be improved, and the earlier treatment is started the better. The younger your baby is, the easier it is to remold the head.
If you are concerned about your baby’s head shape, you must consult with a well-known pediatrician, to get medical advice on how to make your baby’s head round. You can book an appointment via Healthwire.pk or you can call at (042) 32500989.
