02/20/2026
Dr. Chheda - πΆ You've seen infants with helmets on their heads, and what is that for? That is because they had some flattening of their head at some point, and the helmet is supposed to help shape their head back into a normal round shape.
Why does it happen? Flat spots happen when babies are placed in the same position again and again - sleeping in same position, not rotating head, or being held in your arms with head in same position.
π How to prevent:
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Move baby's head from side to side when sleeping
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Don't keep on same side all the time
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Hold them in either arm
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Put them down right-sided sometimes, left-sided sometimes
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They're always looking at something different
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More tummy time during the day (when awake!)
β οΈ Why more common now? Because sleeping on front/side can cause SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). We want all babies sleeping on their backs. That's why we've seen more head flattening. But we can prevent it by making sure baby moves their head consistently and does tummy time to keep pressure off their head.
Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate