Parents can always discuss their concerns with a physician, but they will often see an improvement after their baby can sit up on their own. When to worry about this condition depends on a few factors. Positional plagiocephaly is a temporary condition often caused by back sleeping, extended time in a car seat, stroller, or rocker, or tight neck muscles (muscular torticollis) that drive the baby to turn their head to one side only.Īlthough it’s generally harmless, it’s natural to be concerned about a baby flat head. Doctors refer to this particular head shape issue as positional plagiocephaly. However, this may cause a temporary flattening on the back of their head or at one side at one to two months old. The safest way for babies to sleep in their crib is on their backs. Crowding in the womb often causes babies to move less and affects their head’s overall roundness even before labor or delivery. When twins or other multiples have to share space in their mother’s uterus, lack of space may affect the evenness of their heads. Babies who needed vacuum assistance to leave the birth canal may have a lump on their head from the suction, while babies whose delivery included forceps may have a slightly pinched look at the sides of their head. The head’s cone-like shape results from squeezing during labor, which can push the skull bones over one another, giving the head a pointed shape.Īdditional birth factors that may cause some newborn head molding include the use of forceps or vacuum birth. Some babies will have a more cone-shaped head at birth if they spend extended time in the birth canal or if there is a lot of pressure inside the birth canal. However, many other birth factors affect a newborn’s head shape.īabies whose mothers have a long labor may have a slightly uneven head from being squeezed regularly through contractions, regardless of whether they were born via C-section or vaginal birth. Commonly, babies delivered via cesarean section have more rounded heads than those who experience a vaginal birth, as they don’t need to squeeze through a long, narrow birth canal. BirthĪ baby’s birth experience often plays a role in their head shape. However, the most common causes of an irregular head shape are birth, positional head changes, being born prematurely, and congenital disabilities. Many factors go into uneven shaping in a baby’s head. Causes of Uneven Babies’ Head Shapes: When to Worry Most birth-related head shape issues resolve in about one to two weeks after delivery.Īdditionally, in the first few months after delivery, babies’ head shapes continue to change, and babies may develop temporary flat spots from back sleeping or spending long periods in their car seat, stroller or rocker. Additionally, an uneven head is typical for most babies after birth and considered completely normal. Many parents wonder about their babies’ head shapes: when to worry? First, it’s important to note that most babies’ heads round out independently. Is It Normal for a Baby’s Head to Be Uneven? Toddler skulls are fully formed just before they begin to walk and run. They will also enable a baby’s skull to expand throughout infancy while their brain grows rapidly.Ī baby’s skull continues to form until they’re about 9–18 months old. The sutures meet at two fontanels, where the skull bones are still closing together.įontanels and sutures allow a baby’s large head to move through its mother’s narrow birth canal.
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