Head Shape: Why it Matters?

If you are a parent, you probably remember the moments right after your child was born very fondly. Admiring every inch of them and counting all their fingers and toes. You may also have noticed that their head slightly resembled the predator. This commonly happens when baby get’s squeezed when exiting the birth canal, and its a good thing! This is natures design to push excess fluid from the body to prepare for the first breath. It is also a reminder of how moldable a baby’s skull is in the early weeks and months of their lives. Generally, that predator like shape reduces in the first few hours or days after birth. But external forces can create a new change in the shape of your baby’s head and that is what we are going to talk about now.

The shape of your baby’s skull should be round and symmetrical. to allow for optimal brain growth. Proper head shape also allows the ears to drain properly and the jaw to line up correctly for sucking, swallowing and eventually chewing.

The most common reason we see flattening on a baby’s skull is due to a tightening in the neck musculature that prevents the baby from having a full range of motion in the neck, also called torticolis. If you notice your baby always has their head turned to the same side, it is likely they are experiencing some degree of torticolis.

When we start to see asymmetries or flat spots on an infant skull, we usually want to act fast to correct the shape. Ideally, we start to work with these babies before they can roll over. Once they start to be able to roll over, they are less likely to stay in the position necessary to make the correction for long enough to change the shape of the skull.

Our office specializes in working with babies with torticolis and head shape irregularities. If you aren’t in our area though, you can find a chiropractor that is trained to work with babies here.