Hello! this is the first time I am posting I am a student at Orvis School of Nursing at UNR. I have been assigned to find out information on any subject in nursing that was interesting to me!
Here is my question to all you experts......I read an article Evaluating head shaping in infants. There were a few ideas on how this should be done. Head- molding helmet therapy, surgical intervention etc. I was wondering if any of you have any experience with this. As a young mother my daugther had a pretty bumpy head and my grandmother told me to sit and rub her head...after all whatelse did I have to do..her words.....So if you could please give me some information on techniques that have worked for you or the parents you have worked with it would be very interesting and helpful as I am going into a ob rotation in a few weeks!
Oh, and I agree with gompers on the emotional issue. Babies have no idea that they are "different". They don't learn this concept until later preschool, and it's because we teach it to them.
Adults, on the other hand, are very aware of anything that makes them different.
The emotional problems with the helmet are the parents, not the babies.
I see babies in their homes all day long. I have to say that the babies that have more of an attachment parenting experience have better shaped heads. These babes are held or worn in a sling or carrier, they breastfeed (so no laying in the carrier with a propped bottle), and many breastfed babes I see are co-sleeping so they tend to be switching position in the night to bf on either side. The opposite end of the spectrum are the babes who never get out of the corificeat or swing. Feedings are propped and they sleep in the crib on their backs (which is a fine thing, but will someone hold them eventually, please!!)
So, I guess what I'm saying is that back to sleep may be part of the culprit, but inattentive parents (or those who just don't know better) also play a large part.
I encourage supervised tummy time from the very first post-partum visit. Just to get them used to the idea.
Natalie
It seems like most of us are in agreement here. Back-to-sleep and lack of tummy time (caused by too much time not being held) are the culprits. And the increase in this condition since BTS pretty much proves that is the main culprit.
Oh boy, is this ever an issue that would largely go away with proper teaching, beginning pre-natally or during the post-partum hospital stay, and continuing throughout the first year of life! Of course, that would require receptive parents, which we know we don't always have.
In my entire nursing career, I have only seen 2 infants (identical twins) who had a true disorder (craniosynostosis) which caused their misshapen heads. All of the others, and there have been plenty, were related to improper positioning of the infant.
BTS does not mean keep a baby on its back all day! From day one, parents must be taught to hold their babies, provide supervised tummy time, and alternate the baby's position during waking hours. Failure to do so not only puts the baby at risk for a misshapen head, but other developmental delays as well. Babies who do not spend adequate amounts of time on their tummies fail to develop muscle strength needed to hold the head upright, and push up on the arms. They also lack the trunk strength needed to roll over and sit unassisted.
I have a neighbor whose healthy 9 month old can not roll over or sit up yet. Nothing physiologically wrong, as evidenced by numerous doctor's visits for tests. The kid just never spends any time on the floor playing. It's amazing that his head looks normal. I also wonder if this poor little guy will end up at risk for obesity due to lack of activity. I'd be interested to learn if there is any correlation between positional plagiocephaly (inactivity early in life) and obesity (inactivity throughout life).
Just wanted to stick up for my little nephew and his parents a bit. He was held plenty, played on his tummy every day, started rolling over, crawling, and walking on target, and when he was left to sit by himself, it would usually be in an exersaucer, so he had nothing against the back of his head. It's just that he was an excellent sleeper (10 hours at night plus 2 2-hour naps a day) for his first year of life. He had a particular sleeping position (arms above his head, tilted head to the right a bit) and he just never gave it up. Even when he started rolling over, he never really got into side or tummy sleeping until he was a year old. The doctor said it was because he started sleeping through the night so early that his skull was still so soft and vulnerable, and it got misshapen despite all his daytime activities.
Just wanted to stick up for my little nephew and his parents a bit. He was held plenty, played on his tummy every day, started rolling over, crawling, and walking on target, and when he was left to sit by himself, it would usually be in an exersaucer, so he had nothing against the back of his head. It's just that he was an excellent sleeper (10 hours at night plus 2 2-hour naps a day) for his first year of life. He had a particular sleeping position (arms above his head, tilted head to the right a bit) and he just never gave it up. Even when he started rolling over, he never really got into side or tummy sleeping until he was a year old. The doctor said it was because he started sleeping through the night so early that his skull was still so soft and vulnerable, and it got misshapen despite all his daytime activities.
Your nephew sounds like a rare example of a baby who would have had a problem regardless of sleeping position (BTS vs. old school on the tummy). If he was that sound a sleeper so early on, his noggin would have been a little off kilter regardless of whether his chosen position was on his back or tummy.
Your nephew sounds like a rare example of a baby who would have had a problem regardless of sleeping position (BTS vs. old school on the tummy). If he was that sound a sleeper so early on, his noggin would have been a little off kilter regardless of whether his chosen position was on his back or tummy.
Right - if he was a tummy sleeper, he'd probably have gotten a "toaster head" like we see in the NICU!
I am a student at Orvis School of Nursing at UNR. I have been assigned to find out information on any subject in nursing that was interesting to me! 
quiltncatch
20 Posts
Oh, and I agree with gompers on the emotional issue. Babies have no idea that they are "different". They don't learn this concept until later preschool, and it's because we teach it to them.
Adults, on the other hand, are very aware of anything that makes them different.
The emotional problems with the helmet are the parents, not the babies.
Natalie