Avoiding Flat Heads

Baby car safety capsules that click in and out of your vehicle sure are certainly safe. However, unfortunately they are also leading to a dramatic increase in Plagiocephaly, or “flat-head” syndrome in recent years. Sure, it is much easier to pull the car seat out with baby comfortably clicked-in, but is it the wisest thing to do?

Car Seats & Back Sleeping

Babies used to only be placed in car safety seats whilst actually travelling in a vehicle and were also able to sleep any which way they preferred.  Dare I say it? Also on their tummies. Some studies have shown a dramatic reduction in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) when babies were placed onto their backs. And therefore today’s babies spend significantly more time on their backs. This leads to pressure being placed on the same spot on the back of their soft developing craniums (the occiput).

This combined with  new click-in style car capsules the amount of time babies spend on their backs has increased significantly in the past decade.  Ever wondered why you’ve also seen a rise in babies wearing helmets lately?

Indications of Difficulties

Flat head syndrome on its own is usually not a permanent problem if caught early while the skull is still developing. However, too much “capsule time” can lead to other problems. If you think about how much you carry your baby’s car seat around and equate that to a loss of your touch

How Much “Capsule” Time?

Babies should only be in a capsule whilst travelling.  This means removing your child from the car seat when you arrive. As apposed toclicking them into a stroller or leaving them in the car seat.  They should also never be left to sleep in the car seat (unless you are travelling by car of course).

At home, try to limit the amount of time your child is “strapped in” to a seat (swing, bouncy chair, etc.). Promote tummy time so your child can develop their upper body strength and neck muscles. You can also help reduce flat-head syndrome by repositioning their head on occasion when they are sleeping. This helps so pressure is not placed on the same spot repeatedly.

Many infants also have small neck misalignments as a result of the birthing process itself (especially in vacuum births)  where babies may continually tilt or turn their head to one side. Chiropractor’s can gently realign the vertebrae so that full movement is restored . This reduces nerve pressure allowing maximum potential for proper growth and healthy development.