mattress firmness--SIDS vs plagiocephaly??

[sdbc]

OK, so we've all read that a mattress should be firm to avoid SIDS risk. However, recently, I've been reading about a huge increased incidence of plagiocephaly (a flattening/deformation of the head) caused by too hard mattresses, sleeping in car seats, etc. Does anybody know of a mattress that is firm enough to be safe SIDS-wise, but soft enough not to contribute to plagiocephaly?

Thanks! Sue

[toomanystrollers]

Hi Sue,
FWIW, 3 kids later and none of them have developed a flat spot from our crib mattress - a believe it was from babiesrus - nothing fancy - around $50-60. Plus around 5-7 months (some earlier) babies start rolling and sleeping on their tummies. I would guess the worse plagiocephaly contributor has got to be the infant "bucket" carseat - not a lot of padding and if it comes in a stroller combo - it's very tempting to overuse the seat.

HTH

[sdbc]

Hi Pam,

I read about the overuse of the infant carseats, too. I agree--a lot of babies get toted around in them all the time, and I'm sure it contributes. We're going to try to use a sling as much as possible for toting her around, and I registered for the "boppy noggin nest" to put in her carseat for when she has to be in it. Somebody recommended an inclined positioner for her crib, too. I know plagiocephaly isn't the worst thing that could happen to a baby, but it is really common. 1 in 60 babies are affected ever since the back-to-sleep campaign!!! It's still obviously worth it to have baby sleep on her back, though. One article I saw did say they weren't sure how much of the increase in incidence had to do with back-to-sleep as opposed to other things starting at the same time, like the use of travel systems where the baby is in the car seats a good deal of time.

Thanks for the input!

Sue

[tarahsolazy]

I also wonder about how much time the flat-headed kids are spending on their bellies while awake. As a pediatrican, I always recommend putting baby on his tummy whle awake for several short periods during the day. Even as newborns. As long as an adult is around, and the baby is not being left alone, it is really good for overall motor development. I suspect that it is not just the cribs, but all the time on the back while awake that contributes to the plagiocephaly. Babies in strollers or hanging out on quilts on the floor, etc, while awake or asleep can be turned from side to side, also, to avoid the flat spot thing. Sling babies are less likely to be affected also, because they don't lay on their backs as much. The same for "high needs" kids who refuse to not be held. All that being said (sorry for the rambling, I'm 36weeks pregnant), I think that the sleep positioners with the "NASA foam" to prevent plagio are a bad idea, they certainly haven't been shown to prevent SIDS or plagiocephaly!

JMO

[amp]

My understanding of it is that the flat spots on the head are due more to spending too much time on their backs, not on their bellies, than it is due to the mattress specifically. We have a Sealy Baby Soft Ultra (or some such name) and we never had a flattening of the head. DS spent a lot of time on his belly.

[vikivoly]

DD had/has plagiocephaly. It began to show just before she was 2 months old. At that time she was sleeping in either a bassinet that had a bit of padding (you know the typical ones you see in the stores) or a PNP bassinet. Both are softer than most crib mattresses. In contrast to some of the comments above, I didn't overuse a carseat. DD was only in her carseat when we traveled in a vehicle or for short in and out trips. If we used her stroller for any length of time I used the bassinet feature on the stroller. I also gave her plenty of tummy time as a newborn. She often napped on her tummy when I was right next to her. Her biggest problem, and from the research I've done on the web many babies have the same problem, was she preferred to keep her head to the right side, thus causing a flat spot on the side of the head. Most babies that have plagio have it on the right side because most Moms are right handed. It's natural to hold the baby in you left arm, change your baby so she looks to the right, etc.. I was aware that a flat spot could occur at the back of the head, but I thought she was ok because she kept her head to the side. So, the key is paying attention to an early preference to one side and alternating arms that you hold the baby, alternating her sleeping direction, and alternating the side you change her from.

I know babies who rode, slept all night, and ate in their carseats and didn't develop plagio.

However, if we do have a second child I already told DH that we're getting a FP baby papasan.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-0266327-0103847?%5Fencoding=UTF8&alt%5Fview=images&asin=B0000CBGBS#images

[vikivoly]

I would think a pediatrician would both know how to spell pediatrician and refrain from referring to a baby with plagiocephaly as a flat-headed kid.

[tarahsolazy]

Sorry Vicki,

Never meant to offend. Also not a great speller, I'll make sure to use spell check in the future. And proofread. Flat-headed kid was just a little irreverence, but I apologize wholeheartedly and will choose my words more carefully in the future.

[vikivoly]

Tarah,

Thanks for the apology and sorry for the slam. I'm usually pretty thick-skinned, but when it comes to my child - well you'll soon find out.

As far as the spelling, if I had taken a moment before typing I wouldn't have even mentioned it. I'm sure I have more than my fair share of typos.

[jastinker]

Hi Vicki,

I saw the Papasan when we registered, but I have no idea what it is or why you would need it. Is it like a bouncer? Why would you get it for your next baby? Does it have some feature to prevent plagio? Thanks for the info, I am a first time pregnant mom.

[vikivoly]

I haven't seen it IRL, actually I'm not sure if they are even available to purchase yet. It vibrates and plays music, but I don't think it bounces like a bouncer. It seems more comfy for a young baby than a bouncer. I haven't read anything about it that says it prevents Plagio, but the the support and padding around the head and neck would help keep pressure off the back of the babies head. I also had a winter baby and think the built in blanket feature is pretty neat.

I wouldn't consider it a necessity, especially if you use a sling, but I would use it to keep the baby near me when working (I'm a WAHM) or doing household chores. Many Moms use a carseat for this, but I didn't like putting DD in a carseat unless it was necessary.

This is a picture of it in Parenting Magazine Feb. 2004 edition with a baby all snuggled up in it.

[RookieMom]

Hi Vicki -

I was reading your posts, and although you might know this by now, the Baby Papasan chair is available at BRU.

Cheers,
Audra
Mom to Logan, 1-20-04.

[duvie]

HELP!
I know that this original message was posted awhile ago, but I am still hoping that people will respond.

My DS is 4.5 months old and at 2 months we noticed that the back of his head was getting quite flat. I may sound defensive here...but he did not spend a lot of time on his back other than at night, for naps and a few errands in the car seat. My pediatrician said that some babies are more predisposed to getting flat heads than others. It upsets me when people assume or suggest that plagio is from putting your baby on his back an excessive amount.

My anxiety is compounded by the fact that none of my friends' babies have plagio, and I have not talked to anyone who can reassure me that it will get better. WILL IT?!

AT 2 months we started putting him on alternating sides while he slept (wish that we had known to do this earlier). We sit him up and give him tummy time as much as possible. We have a Boppy noggin nest and I have just ordered a Bumbo. Whew! His head has gotten better, but it is still flat!

My ped. said that it "is not bad" and my DH said that if this is DS's only problem, then we are all set. I know that this is not life-threatening, but has anyone had a baby with a flat head that has gotten better with time?

Thanks!
Duvie
Duvie

[pl71]

My baby had plagiocephaly because he only wanted to keep his head turned to one side when sleeping. I had a padded sleep positioner that he slept on so I thought it didn't matter that his head was always turned, but I was wrong. Once we realized it around 3 months, we started putting him to bed with his head at the north end of the crib one night and the south end the next night. That helped because he wanted to face the door. Around 6 months he started rolling and sleeping on his stomach, plus he was sitting up all the time.

Most of the flatness went away, but he does still has a minor flat spot at 23 months, I can tell if I look down at his head from above, and then really only if his hair is wet. It's minor enough that I think I'm the only one who notices.

My SIL's DD is the same age as my DS and also had a flat spot. Today I can't see one at all (and I have looked for it). I'd guess that it's the same thing, there's probably a slight flatness but her hair hides it.

Patty

[duvie]

Patty-
Thanks so much for responding...it helps me to hear other people's stories (and to know that I am not alone). I think that hair will help- DS doesn't have much right now!
Duvie

[Sillygirl]

There was a recent article in the Washington Post about a special helmet to treat plagiocephaly. The link will expire in a few days, and you have to register to read it, but it's quite detailed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14258-2005Mar7.html

[esa]

my daughter's head was so flat on one side we had to be careful how we photographed her , my husband was in a total panic and wanted to get a helmet for her but I decided to wait it out until she started flipping onto her tummy. sure enough a couple of months after she flipped onto her tummy the flatness went away. The helmet is only needed for very extreme cases and is something you should discuss with your pediatrician. In the meantime, take comfort from the fact toddlers that you see with rounded out heads - they most likely slept on their backs and their heads rounded out just fine!

[vikivoly]

I posted above to the OP, and as you can see I too was a bit defensive - so I understand.

I can't reassure you that it will get better. My Ped didn't seem to think it was a big deal, but said I should concentrate on keeping her head turned to the opposite side. We did everything we could, but she still preferred to turn her head to the right. We went to see a Pediatric Neurosurgeon at about 5 months. He classified her case as being "moderate" - not mild and not severe. He did not think a helmet was necessary and said it probably wouldn't round out completely, but it wouldn't be noticeable when she grew more hair. Well, she's now 30 months old and I'm still not sure we made the right decision to just hope for the best. Her head is still flat on the side and I find it noticeable, however most other people don't think it's bad. It's worse when her hair is wet or when she wears a hat. We also have a problem with ponytails and pigtails. If she wears sunglasses, they are crooked. If things stay the same, I think she's going to have many "bad hair days" as an adult. It's going to be hard for her to have a symmetrical haircut.

Plagio can also affect the face, especially if the flat spot is on the side. One way to tell is to look at your DD in the mirror. You'll notice the asymetry if it's bad. DD had one eye larger than the other, but her face has since developed normally.

There are plenty of sites on the web - just google plagiocephaly. Some sites post pictures of their kids before and after helmets. DD wasn't as bad as most of the pictures I found, so I thought she would have a better chance of "rounding out".

HTH. If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me.

[tjsw]

I am almost 7 months pregnant and trying to be proactive and understand how best to prevent plagio before it happens! I had read about the sleep shaper system (www.sleepshaper.com) but I do not know anyone who has experience with it. Does anyone have any insight on this product?

Thanks! - Any insight would be terrific.

Tammy
EDD 7/28/05