Baby Head Shape 3 Months
The change in head shape may begin when the baby is 1 to 2 months old.
Baby head shape 3 months. The list of things to worry about as a child develops can seem endless and babys head shape is a common item on that list. By 3 months may raise head and chest while on tummy for your baby holding up his head and chest while leaning on his elbows will be a major triumph. The doctor also will look for any problems with the shape of the babys face. Your babys head shape has fully developed when its cranial sutures have fully closed.
More severe cases will also get better over time although some flattening will usually remain. If he or she suspects the baby might have craniosynostosis the doctor usually requests one or more tests to help confirm the diagnosis. A babys skull is malleable. This condition known as deformational plagiocephaly refers to an asymmetrical head shape from repeated pressure to the same area of the head.
The head may be flat across the back or on one side. Helmets and head shape. If necessary a molded helmet might be used to help shape a babys head. Weve found it can be helpful to see examples of a normal head shape before looking at abnormal ones.
Bringing a baby home from the hospital can be a scary time for a parent as they navigate the first few months as an expanded family. If unevenness doesnt improve with the help of repositioning by age 6 months or your baby is older than 8 months and has a severe deformity your babys doctor might prescribe a molded helmet to help shape your babys head. Normally the head is about 13 longer than it is wide and rounded at the back. In the head the soft spots start to come together and the fontanelle at the back of the head closes at about four months with the frontal fontanelle closing between 9 to 18 months.
The helmet is worn at least 23 hours a day during the treatment period often several months or even longer. Usually the head shape issue is due to a benign condition called positional. So all through childhood the skeleton is developing and remains flexible. The risk is greatest during the first four months of life and generally shows improvement by 6 months of age as babies become more mobile and turn their heads on a regular basis on their own.
Below are some examples of a normal head shape at three months six months and nine months old. A doctor will feel the babys head for hard edges along the sutures and unusual soft spots. Your babys head may not return to a completely perfect shape but by the time theyre 1 or 2 years old any flattening will be barely noticeable.