What should I do if my baby's head tilts when sleeping?

Babies are the most worthy of protection for us parents. Caring for newborn babies is very important and is one of the most basic responsibilities of every parent. So in life we ​​need to learn how to care for newborn babies. Sometimes we will find that the baby’s head is tilted when sleeping. So what is going on with the baby’s head tilted when sleeping? What should I do? Let’s take a look at the reasons below.

The shape of the baby's head has nothing to do with the pillow, but with the baby's sleeping position. The skull of a newborn baby has not yet fully ossified, and there is still growth space between the bone fragments. The baby's head has considerable plasticity until the fontanelle closes when the baby is about 15 months old.

Therefore, mothers should be careful not to let the baby get used to only one sleeping position. Otherwise, the bone fragments in a certain part of the baby's head will inevitably be affected in their growth shape due to the long-term pressure of the entire head weight, making it easy for the head to become crooked when sleeping. Therefore, mothers should change the baby's sleeping position every 2 to 3 hours. It is best to alternate between lying flat and lying on the side to ensure the normal development of the baby's head and a beautiful head shape.

Why can head shape be shaped?

Even if the baby is born naturally in the correct fetal position and head position, the newborn's head shape will be more or less deformed due to the squeezing of the birth canal, and it is usually more pointed. Chen Zhicheng, a pediatric neonatologist at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, said: "This may also be a gift from the Creator. The baby's head is composed of multiple skull bones, and the sutures of the newborn have not yet closed. So while it is deformed due to pressure when passing through the birth canal, it also means that it can be restored or reshaped after birth."

The best head shaping method

Dr. Chen Zhicheng believes: "Sleeping position is the best way to correct it. Usually, no external force is used to correct it, because babies have the instinct to restore a good head shape naturally. Parents just need to help change various sleeping positions frequently."

It is understood that long-term back sleeping will cause the back of the head to be flat, long-term stomach sleeping will cause the face to be long and the forehead to be convex; long-term sleeping on the same side will cause the head to be crooked. Therefore, whether the baby's head shape is beautiful or not depends entirely on the baby's own sleeping habits and whether the parents are attentive or neglectful.

【Master the golden shaping period】

The golden period for shaping the baby's head is between 4 and 6 months old. Dr. Chen Zhicheng said: "Usually, after 10 to 12 months of age, the head shape will be completely fixed. Parents should master the first 4 months and change the sleeping position of the baby frequently to change the head shape. If it still cannot be improved, you can take the baby to the hospital for consultation with a doctor and consider using a 'head shape correction cap/correction helmet' to help correct it."

Correction of severe head deformation

Dr. Chen Zhicheng explained: "If the baby is delivered by vacuum extraction or forceps, special attention should be paid to the following two conditions: one is 'subscalp edema', which subsides quickly, about 1 to 2 days; the other is 'subscalp hematoma', which is a clear 'growing horn', and the degree of deformation may be more serious, and it may take one to two weeks to three months to slowly recover."

It turns out that there are so many reasons that can cause our baby's head to be tilted when sleeping, so we have to find out the reasons why the baby's head is tilted when sleeping. Only in this way can we solve the problem of the baby's head tilted when sleeping better and more effectively, so that our baby can develop healthily and parents can rest assured. Never ignore the phenomenon of your baby's head tilted when sleeping.