It may be adorable, but Miles' flat head could lead to long-term problems so we think it's worth checking out with a specialist.
My baby has a flat head. It’s okay — you don’t have to assure me that he’s beautiful. He is beautiful, but also, his head is flat. Both of them are pretty flat-headed, really, but Miles’ head is particularly worrisome and has been increasingly so for months.
I asked the pediatrician about it at their 2- and 3-month visits, and she assured me that most babies’ heads round out on their own and it’s nothing to fret about. Now, I know that that is true, but I did then and continue to think now that this wisdom applies mostly to babies with a small flat spot, not babies who look like they were strapped to a board.
Dude is a tummy time champ, yet his head is getting flatter and flatter. And now that they’re approaching the 6-month mark, positional adjustments to take the pressure off his skull bones aren’t really going to make that much of a difference because stuff is hardening and fusing and doing things that normal bones are supposed to do.
Lucky for me, one of my mommy Facebook friends has a son diagnosed with brachycephaly and was kind enough to share about their experience online — and then to answer my bazillion questions when her description and photos really resonated with me. Here are things I learned about brachycephaly through research after I spoke to her:
- It’s really common in multiples because they’re all smushed together in the womb and often are pressed against each other or mommy’s pelvis, so they’re kind of misshapen to begin with. (These are paraphrases of course!)
- Most pediatricians don’t really know much about brachycephaly and chalk it up to something babies grow out of, which means that for some babies it works out fine but for other babies their heads just stay flat because there’s no intervention.
- Research shows that “when the facial bones and structures that support the eyes, ears, and jaw are out of alignment due to cranial deformation, conditions like jaw and teeth development issues leading to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) can occur, vision issues, and inner ear balance issues in severe cases.” (source)
- Insurance seldom covers treatment for brachycephaly because it’s considered by most to be a cosmetic issue rather than a medical issue. (This seems to be a pattern with us — first tongue ties, now brachycephaly!)
The boys see the pediatrician again next month, at which time we are going to forcefully ask for a reassessment and referral to a craniofacial specialist. Treatment ranges from pressure bands on the head to formed helmets to surgery. Based on what I’m reading online, I’m guessing a helmet is in Miles’ future — and maybe Emmett’s too.
Just think: In a few weeks’ time, my little flathead could be my little helmethead instead. I’m okay with that if it means he will avoid a lifetime of potential problems. At least we’re catching it early-ish, before it’s too late to fix it.
I literally sat here and read through allllllllll of your posts because I found them fascinating and YOU hilarious (and honest).
I was wondering what ever happened with the flat head situation, because one of my almost 6 month old twins has a flat head as well.
Well, we took him to see a specialist and the doctor said that he had seen much worse and for a mild case like Miles’ he would not put the child through the stress of wearing a helmet because the difference really wouldn’t be THAT significant. Miles is now 23 months old and his head is still flat in the back, but his hair is so curly that you probably wouldn’t notice if you weren’t looking for it. I see a difference between him and his more rounded-head brother, but both of them look flat compared to many of my friends’ kids. If I had it to do all over again, I would have worn both of them more and been more vigilant about tummy time because I think it was too much lying down (not being squished in the womb, which happens for many twins) that did it. I’m not super worried about it — not like this is something that most people will notice or anything that will affect his quality of life — but I am definitely aware of it.
What do you think you’ll do?
The doctors haven’t even mentioned it beyond the very first appointment (or.. 2 month? maybe?) so it must not be nearly as bad as I may “think” it is, but her sisters is definitely a lot more rounded. And I agree that it’s likely more because of laying around than it is from the womb. We have a Twin Z Pillow (LIFE SAVER.) that they lounge on a lot and the one with the flatter head especially hates tummy time. She is smaller, hates tummy time, and has a flat head. Poor kiddo. ;)
Like you, I’m guessing we won’t do anything about it and I think I may be the only one even really taking note of it at all. Once hair grows in it probably won’t be noticeable at all, but this post (of all of them. because seriously. i read all of them.) peaked my interest since there was no follow up to it.
Also, all of the “things not to say to twin parents”, losing your mind to Disney movie songs, and “stop using dad/santa/elf on the shelf to parent your kid with baseless threats” posts? Brilliance.