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32 years
My 3 months son used to sleep bending his head to left. Now his back head is flat at the back left and round at the back right. Do i need to consult a doctor or will his back head be round with time?
Aug 24, 2014
2nd opinion

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
Positional Plagiocephaly is a flat spot on  the back or side of a baby's head. It occurs as a result of pressure on the bones of the skull before or after birth. The most common cause is the way a baby prefers to lie (their positional preference) in their first few months of life.
There are many things that could cause positional plagiocephaly.
Some infants have a strong predilection to look in one direction. A limited range of motion in the neck can consequently take place, from muscles being tight. This is called torticollis. Babies with torticollis are more likely than other babies to develop plagiocephaly, since they always rest on the same spot on the back of their head.
Premature infants are sometimes more likely to develop plagiocephaly. This is because they are born with softer skull bones. They also tend to move their heads less often.
Babies who have less room while in the womb are also more likely than other babies to develop plagiocephaly after birth. - Sometimes this can happen if it's a twin or triplet pregnancy (more than one baby in the uterus).
-Babies born to mothers with unusually shaped uterus or uterine fibroids (benign growths inside the uterus made of fibrous and muscular tissue).
If your baby has positional plagiocephaly and is less than 6 months of age, the key to treatment is to keep them off the flat portion of their head as much as possible.
If repositioning does not help, other treatments may be required. Moderate and severe positional plagiocephaly may be treated with a special helmet that will treat your baby's uneven head shape. Helmet use is usually initiated after 6 months of age. The helmet needs to be placed on your baby's head about 23½ hours each day.
The duration of treatment depends on the extent of the plagiocephaly is, and on the age of your child.
If however your baby has torticollis, special neck exercises will be required by the doctor.
To prevent problems with plagiocephaly, always place babies to sleep on their backs with the head turned to one side ; alternate between the two sides. This is the safest way for your baby to sleep. When your baby is awake, you may place him on his tummy.
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