Why are different medical professionals tell me varying things about my baby’s head shape??

The short answer… because they are all treating different systems related to head shape. One is not wrong and the other right; every medical professional has had different training and clinical experiences when it comes to head shape.

Pediatricians

Your pediatrician is treating your baby as a whole system. They are often the most conservative when it comes to head shape because they see LOTS of babies and have past experiences observing when a baby's head shape DOES improve without intervention. This may be due to actually skull improvement or visual improvement (hair growth, perception -you don’t often see your child from a top-down view as they grow older- and overall head growth reducing the impact of the flat spot. When a family tells me that their pediatrician told them their baby’s head shape will get better on its own, I always respond “Yes- after a certain point (typically around 4-6 months) the head shape WILL get better on its own. However, research shows this self-improvement is limited, and this limited amount of correction may not be enough to get your baby’s head shape from where it is today, to where you would like to be long term.

Physical Therapists

If you are working with a physical therapist, they are looking at the muscular system and possible muscular imbalances. One common imbalance is torticollis, a condition where one side of the neck is tight and can cause your baby to look only in one direction. You may also notice your baby’s head is tilted and rotated as well. This condition often contributes to Plagiocephaly, or flatness on the head. Physical Therapists (and sometimes Occupational Therapists) are working towards goals of improvement in range of motion (ROM) and strength in the neck. If this is not treated early enough, the neck imbalance may lead to core and back imbalances which can then interfere with developmental milestones.

Chiropractors

A chiropractor is treating your baby’s nervous system. They are able to carefully find areas of restricted motion in the spine and nervous system and make gentle adjustments to your baby’s spine to ensure the nervous system is functioning properly and your baby’s body is moving most optimally. Chiropractors treat a wide variety of conditions beyond “back pain”. In infants, the most common conditions include colic, torticollis, constipation, breastfeeding difficulties, and ear infections.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

Cranial sacral therapy (or CST) is a very of massage therapy using a very light touch to identify and clear and blockages, or restrictions, within the embrace and fluids that surround your brain and spinal cord. This

Orthotists

Your orthotist is treating the skeletal system with a physics mindset. The head and skull grow as a result of brain growth. As the brain grows, the head will grow in the path of least resistance (think pumpkin). If there is constant pressure on one side of the head, a flat spot will form in this area. I call this the guided-growth principle. We use this same principle to correct a flattened head by creating contact within the helmet on the areas that are more prominent or pushed out, and create space inside the helmet for the head to grow and round out.

Early intervention is a key component to achieving the most efficient results in physical therapy, chiropractic care, and cranial remolding helmets.

Utilizing a combination of these treatment modalities often leads to the most effective and quickest outcomes. HOWEVER… while seeing the PT, Chiro, CST, AND orthotist may be ideal… it is not completely realistic for the busy young families that we are working with… logistics like location, office hours, appointment availability, and insurance coverage are all very real issues when it comes to treatment options. I tell the families I am working with to find one provider that is dealing with the underlying cause, ie: torticollis, muscle weakness, developmental delays, and one provider who is working on the actual head shape, (in instances where is severe enough that a helmet is an appropriate treatment) this is the orthotist. At Baby Bear Cranial Clinic we help to foster these relationships and make connections that will work for everyone. We truly believe in a team approach!