Is the baby's head shape natural or caused by sleep?

Many people may have the impression that babies look very ugly when they are just born, especially their head shape is not normal, and some edges and corners are not very clear, as if they have been squeezed. When a child has this situation, parents will definitely be concerned about whether it is congenital or because the child is not taken good care of and has fallen into a bad sleeping position. So, is the baby's head shape natural or the result of sleep? Let's take a look below.

The so-called beauty or ugliness of head shape is mostly subjective. In the past, our grandmothers had the idea that "a person with a big head and big ears will eat a lot, have the appearance of an official and be blessed", so most parents let their babies sleep on their backs. Sleeping on your back will cause the front-to-back diameter of the head to become shorter and the left-right width to become wider, so the face will naturally become larger and squarer. As western trends gradually spread, Chinese people prefer the narrow and long face shape and rounder head shape popular in Europe and the United States. Therefore, they let babies sleep on their sides or stomachs, so that the front-to-back diameter of the head circumference is relatively larger and the left-to-right width becomes narrower. In fact, a flat or round head shape has its own advantages and disadvantages. From a medical point of view, as long as the baby's head shape is symmetrical, not crooked or tilted, and there are no health concerns, it can be considered a good head shape!

The soft skull of a newborn baby makes it easier to pass through the mother's birth canal

The human skull is not a single bone, but is made up of many bones. During the fetal stage, the joints between the bones of the baby's head are relatively soft, which is also the mystery of God's creation. This is to prepare the baby to pass through the birth canal smoothly during delivery. If the baby's skull is already tightly closed before birth, it will be difficult for the baby to be born smoothly.

Also because the birth canal is relatively narrow, if natural delivery is adopted, the baby's head will be shaped when passing through the birth canal. Therefore, the head of a newborn born naturally will appear to be a little long and pointed. But this is normal. Mommy does not need to worry. After a few days after the baby is born, the head shape will return to a more normal shape.

The timing of baby's skull closure ~ before 1 and a half years old

After delivery, when the baby is born safely, the skull will slowly calcify to protect the fragile brain from impact. As a result, the sutures of the skull will gradually become tighter. However, this calcification process is slow, and it will not close completely until the baby is around 16 to 18 months old. If it is too early or too late, there may be something wrong with the baby's body.

There are anterior and posterior fontanelles on the human head. The anterior fontanelle is located at the front of the top of the head, and the posterior fontanelle is located at the back of the head. Generally speaking, the anterior fontanelle closes when the baby is about 16 to 18 months old, and the posterior fontanelle closes within the first 3 months after the baby is born, but there is also a saying that it closes at 6 to 8 weeks. The suture of the anterior fontanelle is formed by the junction of multiple bones, like a diamond, so we often feel that the front end of the baby's head is very soft.

Head shape is not natural, sleeping posture is the most important!

Many parents are very concerned about whether their baby’s head shape is good-looking or not. In fact, head shape has little to do with genetic genes, and the main factor affecting it is the acquired sleeping posture. The shaping of the head begins as soon as the baby is born, but the cervical bones of babies in the first three months are relatively soft, so it is difficult to adjust the baby's posture. The 4th to 6th month after the baby is born is the critical time point to adjust the baby's head shape, and the most natural way to adjust it is to change the head shape by sleeping position. But in addition to sleeping posture, some factors that affect head shape include some diseases that can cause the sutures or fontanelles on the head to close prematurely, and bones with closed sutures will find it difficult to continue growing. If only one side of the suture closes prematurely, it may cause the baby's head shape to be crooked, such as: pointed head, boat-shaped head... etc.

There are three basic sleeping positions regarding head shape: sleeping on your back, sleeping on your stomach, and sleeping on your side, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Currently, pediatric medical associations around the world believe that prone sleeping is related to sudden neonatal death syndrome, so parents are advised not to let newborns sleep on their stomachs in the first three months after birth. Because the baby's head is not supported enough in the first 5 months after birth, and the ratio of head to body length is 1:4, while that of adults is about 1:8. The head is larger than the body, so it is easy to cause breathing problems and lead to sudden death. After the appeal, the sudden death rate of newborns has indeed decreased.

Frequently change your baby's sleeping position to keep his head in a perfect shape without worries

Sleeping on your back

For babies aged 3 months old, sleeping on their stomachs may lead to sudden infant death syndrome. If sleeping on their sides, it is necessary to consider whether the baby's cervical vertebrae can support the baby's condition. Therefore, it is recommended that the baby sleep on his back. It is recommended that parents choose a baby-specific pillow with a groove in the middle to prevent the baby's head from becoming too flat due to sleeping on his back.

Side Sleeping

Sleeping on the side is a better sleeping position for babies 3 months after birth. It not only takes the head shape into consideration, but also makes it easier to observe the baby's facial expression. If the baby has just finished drinking milk, he can sleep on the right side, which helps prevent milk spitting up and helps empty the stomach. If the baby adopts the side sleeping position, parents still need to help the baby change sides frequently so that the baby can have a beautiful head shape.

Sleeping on your stomach

Three months after birth, the baby's head and cervical support strength gradually develops, and the baby can be placed to sleep on his or her stomach depending on the baby's situation. However, pediatricians generally still do not recommend this because it is not easy to observe the baby's face, and if the baby spit up milk, the baby may choke on his or her mouth and nose. If parents want their baby to sleep on his stomach, they need to change sides frequently, such as 2 hours on the left side and 2 hours on the right side, so as to take into account the shape of the baby's head and face on both sides.

Some babies with crooked heads tend to sleep on the same side. In this case, it is necessary to determine whether it is a habit problem of the baby or whether there is any abnormal physical disease. The most common problem in clinical practice is "torticollis". The human head can rotate left and right due to muscle movement. There is a "sternocleidomastoid muscle" from the sternoclavius ​​to the mastoid behind the ear on both sides of our body. This is the muscle that pulls the head to rotate. If this muscle is fibrotic or has a lump, it will affect muscle development and cause the muscles on the same side to be stiff and tight. The baby's neck naturally cannot rotate flexibly and is prone to tilt to one side, causing the head to be crooked. This is called "torticollis". To treat torticollis, the patient needs to be taken to a pediatrician or rehabilitation physician for further examination. Once torticollis is confirmed, rehabilitation treatment can almost always be given, which can lead to improvement. Alternatively, surgery can be performed to remove the lump, help the muscles relax, and then rehabilitation treatment can be given, which can generally return to normal.

In addition to torticollis, if the baby's bone sutures close too early, it will also cause a crooked head shape, such as microcephaly, hydrocephalus, macrocephaly, etc. Therefore, every time the baby has a health check, the head circumference, body length, and weight must be measured. All parts must grow in proportion. If any one part grows too fast or too slow, further detailed examination is required to clarify the cause and provide treatment.