Is your baby developing a flat spot?

Has your pediatrician mentioned that your baby is developing a flat spot and might need to see a specialist to evaluate for a helmet? A baby’s cranial bones go through a normal compression and shift during a vaginal birth. This helps to stimulate the brain and “wake up” the baby to get them ready for life outside the womb. Sometimes these bones don’t shift very easily during this process. This can cause the gaps between them (called sutures) to become irritated and “sticky”. This makes it difficult for the bones in their head to line up correctly as they grow. Also, this normal compression doesn’t happen at all during a C-section delivery which makes them even more likely to not move correctly after birth. Also, often times, babies have tension in their neck causing them to favor one side. This shows up as baby always looking to one side, nursing only on one side, or sleeping looking one direction every time. Even if these things are caught early on, without addressing the root cause of the issue it can be difficult to help. We know you’ve tried everything, more tummy time, special pillows, wearing them all day, trying to manually move their head, and more. All the while you feel the mom-guilt wanting to be able to help more. A common recommendation to help is a special designed helmet. Helmets come with major side-effects that aren’t talked about. Try wearing a football helmet around for 3-6 months and let us know how your neck feels! A baby’s cervical spine is developing dramatically during this age. If you add the weight of a helmet during this stage it can cause lifelong issues. There is a better way! Our job is to help your baby’s neck and cranial bones move and work the way they are supposed to. In our office we have great success helping kids avoid more difficult interventions. This awesome guy is just one of many that we see improvements in their head shape (and cuteness) after consistent chiropractic care! If you think your baby may be developing these things we are here to answer questions and help!