 |
|
|
|
November 28th, 2011
07:51 AM ET
New advice to prevent and correct flat head syndrome in babiesSince 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that babies sleep on their backs, the number of deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS - the number one cause of death among infants younger than 1 year of age - has been cut in half, according to the CDC. However, as the number of SIDS deaths have gone down, pediatricians have seen a dramatic increase in babies having flat head syndrome. About 13% of healthy infants have some form of positional plagiocephaly (which means "oblique head" in Greek). "[Babies] spend almost all their time on their back," says pediatrician Dr. James Laughlin, "that leads to some positional flattening or molding of the head, depending on how the baby sleeps." Most babies' heads are slightly asymmetrical. Their skulls are soft and made up of movable plates (which are necessary for baby to make it through the birth canal). In between these plates are spaces, which allow the skull to expand so that the brain can grow. If the baby's head always rests on the same spot, the skull plates move in a way that leaves a flat spot, according to the NIH. The AAP and NIH caution that even though having your baby sleep on its back can lead to a flattened head, parents should not stop placing babies on their backs to sleep. Asymmetry of the skull when caused by positional molding doesn't cause developmental delays, says Laughlin. "This is cosmetic." The new report, published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, suggests that pediatricians should counsel new parents about how to avoid flat head syndrome when they bring their newborns in for their check-ups in the first 2 to 4 weeks of life. Until a baby is one year old, doctors should also screen for skull deformities at every wellness visit. Only if the flattening of the head worsens by the time baby is 6 months old and the infant has serious flat spots should head-molding helmets be considered, according to the new guidelines. "There is currently no evidence that molding helmets work any better than positioning for infants with mild or moderate skull deformity," according to the report. Surgery should only be considered when all other options have been exhausted, and after consulting with a surgeon who specializes in these types of cases. There are simple steps parents can take to prevent flat spots, and they can also be used to minimize the progression if a positional skull deformity has already developed: – Increase "tummy" time, which is supervised time during the day when baby lies on its stomach. A baby should spend at least 30 to 60 minutes a day on it's belly, something that can be done immediately after birth. This will help develop neck and shoulder muscles, says Laughlin. It has also been shown to "enhance motor developmental scores," according to this new report. – The NIH recommends changing the direction your baby lies in the crib each week. They say this change will encourage the baby to turn his or her head in different directions to avoid resting in the same position all the time. – Some babies prefer to hold their head to one side. Laughlin suggests laying them down in a different way when they're awake, so they have something interesting to look at on the opposite side. If you have them in a car seat or sitting in something else, you can also change the position to make the baby look in the opposite direction. – Parents may find their babies sleep well sitting in a car seat, but this is another way they can develop an asymmetrical shape, especially in the first 6 months of life. So experts suggest babies shouldn't spend a prolonged period of time in a car seat (unless they are in a car of course) or bouncy seat. – Cuddle! The NIH says "getting cuddle time with the baby by holding him or her upright over one shoulder often during the day," is another way to prevent flat spots. "In the majority of these cases, this will correct itself on its own, without any or only minimal intervention," says Laughlin. "Because more than half of infants will improve by 6 months of age, repositioning should be attempted as initial treatment. In most cases, flat spots usually go away when a baby starts sitting up on its own. |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this post plus the rest of the site is extremely good.
https://sc.devb.gov.hk/TuniS/speltamilano.it
lupus usmle https://pharmaceptica.com/
/
https://www.continental-industry.com/catalogs/iap/Language/Switch?culture=en-GB&returnUrl=https://labiaforum.com/
I love looking through a post that will make men and women think. Also, thank you for permitting me to comment!
/
http://m.hicbc.com/i/files/acj/?url=https://dominick9r9n6.blogunok.com/
I blog often and I really thank you for your content. This great article has really peaked my interest. I will bookmark your website and keep checking for new information about once a week. I opted in for your Feed too.
http://emails.erieinsurance.com/ern40/c2.php?ERIN/37662445/139490/H/N/V/http://backboneleaders.com
There's certainly a lot to know about this subject. I love all of the points you've made.
http://www.response-o-matic.com/thank_you.php?u=https://backboneleaders.com/&t=go+to+website
https://harlekin-power.de/redirect.php?url=https://backboneleaders.com
I wanted to thank you for this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I've got you book-marked to check out new things you postÖ
http://meteorite.lamost.org/modules/links/redirect.php?url=https://backboneleaders.com
http://www.magazinemedia.eu/Redirect.aspx?destination=https://www.backboneleaders.com/
I quite like looking through an article that can make people think. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
https://www.fcviktoria.cz/media_show.asp?id=2924&id_clanek=2467&media=0&type=1&url=https://backboneleaders.com
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Many thanks for providing these details.
http://r.turn.com/r/click?id=07SbPf7hZSNdJAgAAAYBAA&url=https://backboneleaders.com
http://lists.websolutions.com/redirector.asp?e=3304943442344678&URL=http://www.backbonehunters.com
how much is sildenafil 25 mg https://pharmaceptica.com/
That is a good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Simple but very accurate infoÖ Thank you for sharing this one. A must read article!
https://ams.ceu.edu/optimal/optimal.php?url=https://www.backbonehunters.com/&refresh=1
I love it when people come together and share views. Great website, stick with it!
https://abfragen.schnelle-seiten.de/?action=getUrl&cID=92537&url=https://www.backbonehunters.com/
I need to to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it. I have got you book-marked to check out new things you postÖ
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization/reauexit.cfm?link=http://backbonehunters.com
https://zippyapp.com/redir?u=http://backboneleaders.com
I was able to find good information from your blog posts.
http://www.irwebcast.com/cgi-local/report/redirect.cgi?url=https://backboneleaders.com
what is hydroxychloroquine 200 mg https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
https://historyhub.history.gov/external-link.jspa?url=https://backboneleaders.com
http://rs.rikkyo.ac.jp/rs/error/ApplicationError.aspx?TopURL=https://backboneleaders.com
https://sc-jellevanendert.com/pages/gastenboek/go.php?url=https://campervanrepairshop.com
This website was... how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Appreciate it!
http://www.hostdisplaythai.com/festival/queen/index.php?ww=fleetautorepairshop.com
This is the perfect webpage for anybody who really wants to understand this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want toÖHaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a topic that has been discussed for a long time. Wonderful stuff, just wonderful!
http://justfreestuff.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=sprintervanrepairshop.com
Iím amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog thatís both equally educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you've hit the nail on the head. The issue is an issue that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. Now i'm very happy I found this in my search for something relating to this.
http://2014wheelchairbasketball.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.today
Greetings, There's no doubt that your web site could possibly be having internet browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, if opening in IE, it's got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Aside from that, fantastic blog!
https://www.joomla-code.ru/go.php?gogo=http://www.ocrvcenter.com/
https://m.meetme.com/mobile/redirect/unsafe?url=http://ks1.es/sascha/index.php/gaestebuch?start=14740
Hi there! This blog post couldnít be written much better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept preaching about this. I most certainly will send this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!
http://rc-webdesign-und-internet.de/besucherzaehler-counter/dlcount.php?id=Ballak_Kai-Erik&url=ocrvcenter.com
https://gogvo.com/redir.php?k=d58063e997dbb039183c56fe39ebe099&url=https://ocrvexperts.com
http://digital.fijitimes.com/api/gateway.aspx?f=https://www.ocrvmotorcoachsales.com/
http://store.lamplighter.net/affiliates/default.aspx?Affiliate=98&Target=https://newrvowners.com
https://go.20script.ir/index.php?url=https://www.www.ocrvcenter.co
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it won't fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely believed you'd have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you could possibly fix if you weren't too busy searching for attention.
https://lidl.media01.eu/set.aspx?dt_url=https://ocrvcenter.biz
Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this web site.
https://www.fame.com.br/language/change/es?current_page=http://ocrv.us
https://www.vermont.com/linkclickcounts.cfm?linksId=5732&url=https://www.ocrv.life/
I truly love your blog.. Great colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself? Please reply back as Iím looking to create my own site and would like to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Thank you!
http://eneffect.bg/language.php?url=http://ocrv.org/
drug chloroquine https://pharmaceptica.com/
This is a really good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate infoÖ Thank you for sharing this one. A must read article!
http://www.ixawiki.com/link.php?url=https://ocrvmotorsports.us
This is the right webpage for anybody who hopes to understand this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need toÖHaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that's been discussed for a long time. Wonderful stuff, just excellent!
https://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/feed2js.php?src=https://www.ocrvparts.com
This site truly has all the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didnít know who to ask.
https://fortyseven-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=15EoRXviNHlEipMC1m7sg5KgkufUVe8yDRrMtEhRXCqc-1664252990&key=YAMMID-59555726&link=http://www.ocrv.us/
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular article! It's the little changes that make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!
http://em.starz.com/rbc40/c2.php?STAZ/34987929/197338/H/N/V/http://ocrv.store
https://www.newkaliningrad.ru/bitrix/redirect.php?event1=&event2=&event3=&goto=https://www.ocrv.art/
tadalafil alcohol https://pharmaceptica.com/
I was very pleased to discover this web site. I wanted to thank you for ones time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every bit of it and I have you book marked to look at new information on your website.
https://joomlinks.org/?url=https://ocrvandtrucks.com/
http://plugin.mediaget.com/promo/?url=https://ocrvcenter.info
I love looking through a post that will make men and women think. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
https://www.preissuchmaschine.de/link.asp?url=https://www.ocrv.vip/
This is a topic that is near to my heart... Many thanks! Where are your contact details though?
https://qnap.ru/jump?url=https://fleettruckrepairshop.com
Iím amazed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog thatís equally educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that not enough folks are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I stumbled across this during my search for something concerning this.
http://grannyseducesboy.com/out.php?https://www.fleetservicerepairshop.com/