Babies, until they are around a year old, have fairly soft skulls. This is a period when particular attention needs to be paid to the shape of the baby’s head, as prolonged sleeping on the back or continual pressure from firm surfaces (cot mattresses, prams, car seats, play mats etc) can lead to Flat Head Syndrome.

While treating Flat Head Syndrome may not be very difficult if the condition is diagnosed early on, there are things that parents can do to help minimise the possibility of its occurrence. Of course, sometimes babies are born with slightly misshaped heads, but in most circumstances this is a self-correcting condition.

Whilst there is no randomised clinical trial that supports the fact that a flat head pillow can help prevent the occurrence of Flat Head Syndrome in a baby, there are an increasing number of people from the medical fraternity as well as parents and carers who vouch for the effectiveness of some of these pillows designed especially for babies less than 6 months old.

Flat Head Syndrome is now a common condition (up to 20% of babies) that can be fixed quite easily if it is addressed early enough (less than 4 months of age). Treatment could include simple re-positioning techniques coupled with the use of specially designed flat head pillows. Not only are these pillows known to help with treating the condition, but they are also looked upon as preventive aids, especially when used with babies less than 4 months old. If your baby is older than 6 months it is unlikely that these aids or techniques will be of benefit.

The first thing that you should know is that a baby can be born with a slightly deformed head due to the pressure being exerted on the undeveloped skull during birth. In most cases, these deformities disappear automatically within 4-6 weeks.

Post birth, there are an increasing number of cases where the external pressure that a baby’s skull receives from continual contact with firm surfaces like cot mattresses, prams, play mats, car seats etc, results in mis-shaped heads. Flat head syndrome most often occurs if a baby is prone to sleeping on his/her back with their head facing the same way or positioned in one particular direction most of the time.

When a baby is born a fair amount of pressure is exerted on the skull, and since the skull isn’t completely developed yet, sometimes the head appears elongated, wide, or generally out of shape. This condition usually corrects itself with time (a few weeks or less).

On the other hand, if you continue to notice a flat spot in your baby’s head, it could be a sign of Flat Head Syndrome. This condition  is caused when the baby continues to sleep in any one position for prolonged periods, or because of external pressure from  firm surfaces of cots, prams, car seats, play mats, etc. The skull of a baby is rather soft for the first year or so and is prone to being easily moulded.

Many babies are born with slight deformities in the shapes of their heads, because of the pressure that is exerted on the skull in the birthing canal during the birthing process. Babies can also develop flat heads after delivery because of sleeping on their backs for prolonged periods, or continual contact with firm surfaces (cot mattresses, prams, play mats etc). If noticed and addressed early, this can be rectified easily.

There are things that you can do to help minimise the risk of your baby getting a flat head post-delivery. Firstly, regularly check to see if the baby favours sleeping in any particular position or looking in one particular direction. If this is the case, your baby has an increased chance of developing Flat Head Syndrome. Also: