Babies don't get plagiocephaly from being put on their backs to sleep but from spending extended periods lying on their backs, particularly if they always tend to lie looking to one side. This can occur because:
Over the last ten years, since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was introduced to reduce SIDS, there has been an increase in the number of babies with flat spots on the heads (plagiocephaly). There are many things you can do to keep your child from getting a flat head.
In order to have a nice round head, a baby needs to be placed in a variety of positions. Babies should be on their backs for sleep. But when they are awake, they need to have supervised "Tummy Time."
Tummy time is very important for any baby. While many babies don't like this position at first, you can encourage your baby by joining him or her on the floor, for playtime. Remember, babies only need to be on their back when sleeping!
"Ah! His head is flat!" I became obsessed. I went back and looked at pictures of Eli fresh from the womb. There he was with a perfectly round melon. I researched baby skulls and the malleability of the brain. I called our pediatrician and couldn't wait for a check-up.
Babies don't get plagiocephaly from being put on their backs to sleep but from spending extended periods lying on their backs, particularly if they always tend to lie looking to one side. This can occur because:
"Ah! His head is flat!" I became obsessed. I went back and looked at pictures of Eli fresh from the womb. There he was with a perfectly round melon. I researched baby skulls and the malleability of the brain. I called our pediatrician and couldn't wait for a check-up.
Over the last ten years, since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was introduced to reduce SIDS, there has been an increase in the number of babies with flat spots on the heads (plagiocephaly). There are many things you can do to keep your child from getting a flat head.
In order to have a nice round head, a baby needs to be placed in a variety of positions. Babies should be on their backs for sleep. But when they are awake, they need to have supervised "Tummy Time."
Tummy time is very important for any baby. While many babies don't like this position at first, you can encourage your baby by joining him or her on the floor, for playtime. Remember, babies only need to be on their back when sleeping!
