I know there are a couple of other posts on here about babies w/ flat spots in the back of the head but my situation is a little different...and I guess I am just looking for support.
I have noticed for a while now that DD (5 months old) had one cheek that appeared chubbier/larger than the other but never really gave it much thought. Well over the weekend, I noticed that wow, it is really, really obvious so I started to look more closely at her face/head and noticed that on the right side of her head, the area behind & above her ear is completely flat (other side is more rounded). On this same side (right side), her ear is substantially (about 1/2 inch) closer to the front of her face than the other ear. The right side of her forehead sticks out more than the left (when viewed from the top of the skull) and her right cheek sticks out more than the left.
I am so mad at myself that I didn't notice this sooner. I have been under a tremendous amount of stress at work and I am being jerked around on a potential transfer to another division at work which would relocate my family 1200 miles that I feel I haven't even been "present" and when I think about it, I just feel sick to my stomach with guilt.
I called the pediatrician first thing this morning and they are willing to see DD but they want to try some positioning techniques first (if it is position plagiocephaly aka flat head) but I have tried that all weekend (read about it online) and she refuses to sleep on her left side, always changes to the right side.

This is my first experience w/ anything like this and I feel a little overwhelmed. I know it is important to catch & treat this stuff early (especially considering her facial structure is at stake, not just the back of her head). Should I just demand to see a specialist rather than listening to just the pedi?

Now that your DD can reposition herself, it becomes much more difficult to adjust her head shape by sleeping position alone. Perhaps you can get a prescription for one of those soft "helmet" type things to help reshape her head? If the difference is clear to you, your pedi will likely see it, too. But if you do not get satisfaction or feel that the pedi is not taking your concerns seriously, then ask to see a specialist. A specialist will definitely be able to tell you what might resolve on its own and what needs intervention, but you are right that the earlier the intervention the better. A helmet or head band to reshape the skull is most effective between 4 and 6 months of age.

^^Thanks. The thing that concerns me is that the pedi saw her for her 4 month check up 3 weeks ago....checked her head size & everything and didn't say anything. Now it is most obvious at angles and a little harder to tell straight on but I am disappointed that she would not have caught it during that check up. We are seeing the pedi today so I will ask for a specialist referral if I don't feel like she is taking it seriously enough.

I recall when my (almost 8) year old was a baby, she was getting a flat spot and I was freaking out. I read online all about helmets and was totally worried. The ped checked her and said once they start moving, crawling, sitting, walking, etc that it will go away. He said helmets aren't even given anymore where we live and nothing to worry about. He was right in that it did go back rounder as she got older. Don't panic yet until you see the dr. I wouldn't rush to a specialist just yet.

I think it depends on how severe the case is. Over here helmets are used for the more severe cases with not only a flat spot but overall asymmetry. Physical therapy is also prescribed very often and helps a lot.

Originally Posted by Lakritze

I think it depends on how severe the case is. Over here helmets are used for the more severe cases with not only a flat spot but overall asymmetry. Physical therapy is also prescribed very often and helps a lot.

Just got back from the dr and she is sending us to a pediatric neurosurgeon for a CT scan as she fears cranio something or other where the bones in the head fuse too soon. It would require surgery. I am in complete shock and I can't stop bawling.....

I'm so sorry.

My midwife noticed this on my daughter when she was only two weeks old but thankfully she didn't have to have surgery. It's a very scary thought.

My daughter had a pretty rough birth and a heart surgery when she was three weeks old. We went to an osteopathic doctor (I heard they are different over here from the osteopathic doctors in the US) and releasing the blockages she had from her rough start helped so much.

Our physical therapist works as an osteopathic physician as well and she always has an eye on the skull bones and keeps them open.

Sending you and your DD lots of good thoughts. I hope she will be fine without surgery but if that's what she needs she will do great. Our babies are little fighters and it's amazing what they can handle.

My Mom had chiropractics on my brother's skull for similar reasons. Worked well.

Good luck, OP. Be gentle with yourself.

I have seen many babies with the helmet to correct the flat head. My LO also has a flat side but our ped said it will eventually correct itself. Don't be too hard on yourself. With the "back to bed" sleeping they are seeing many more babies with flat spots. Go to the specialist to see what they say. If your LO has to get the helmet, it will be ok.

Originally Posted by fashion16

Just got back from the dr and she is sending us to a pediatric neurosurgeon for a CT scan as she fears cranio something or other where the bones in the head fuse too soon. It would require surgery. I am in complete shock and I can't stop bawling.....

Good luck fashion, and keep us posted.

My nephew was diagnosed with craniosynostosis at 3 months old and at 6 months old underwent the correction surgery by a pediatric neurosurgeon and pediatric plastic surgeon. The surgery was a success and he is fully recovered. Apparantly it is not very rare and correction surgeries are successful in reshaping the bones to a symmetrical shape.

Wishing the best for you and your DD.

Originally Posted by fashion16

Just got back from the dr and she is sending us to a pediatric neurosurgeon for a CT scan as she fears cranio something or other where the bones in the head fuse too soon. It would require surgery. I am in complete shock and I can't stop bawling.....

So sorry you're going through this and I wish you luck at the neuro appointment, I hope it goes well. ((Hugs))

When my DD was 4 months old I brought it up at her appointment that she constantly was sleeping on one side and that I felt like her face was "lopsided", the doctor just said it would correct on its own and she wouldn't need a helmet. I was seriously questioning him, because I felt like it was really pronounced and I couldn't get her to sleep on the other side... I would turn her and in her sleep she would automatically go back to having her head turned to that right side. She definitely had a flat spot and I felt like it affected the placement of her ears & cheeks.

Sure enough, the Dr was right though... she had started rolling over shortly before her 4 months appointment and started sleeping on both sides after that. Now, right at 6 months it has evened out and you cannot see a flat area any longer. So there is a possibility that even if they had you get a helmet for her, that it could correct a bit on its own... Just to give you a bit of hope maybe! Its good that you are able to go to the appointment to get anything sorted out as soon as possible if you need to do anything additionally. Big hugs to you, keep us posted!!

Originally Posted by Bags4Bubbles

So sorry you're going through this and I wish you luck at the neuro appointment, I hope it goes well. ((Hugs)) When my DD was 4 months old I brought it up at her appointment that she constantly was sleeping on one side and that I felt like her face was "lopsided", the doctor just said it would correct on its own and she wouldn't need a helmet. I was seriously questioning him, because I felt like it was really pronounced and I couldn't get her to sleep on the other side... I would turn her and in her sleep she would automatically go back to having her head turned to that right side. She definitely had a flat spot and I felt like it affected the placement of her ears & cheeks. Sure enough, the Dr was right though... she had started rolling over shortly before her 4 months appointment and started sleeping on both sides after that. Now, right at 6 months it has evened out and you cannot see a flat area any longer. So there is a possibility that even if they had you get a helmet for her, that it could correct a bit on its own... Just to give you a bit of hope maybe! Its good that you are able to go to the appointment to get anything sorted out as soon as possible if you need to do anything additionally. Big hugs to you, keep us posted!!

Thank you. DD is 5 months old and not rolling over yet. Dr is concerned about plagiocephaly, craniosynostosis or (God forbid) hemihypertrophy. The CT scan went well and now we are just waiting for the neuro to call us back with her observations of the results. Hardest day of my life. Sitting in the radiology waiting room was an 8 yr old boy waiting for a 3 hour heart procedure and he was praying in the waiting area while his mom was on her phone. Most heartbreaking thing I have seen in a long time:(

Sorry you are going through this. Hope you get good news from the doctor.

Update: We won't see the neurosurgeon for another week and the Drs don't like to "diagnose" over the phone but they stated that they did not see any signs of craniosynostosis and at this point, they think it is plagiocephaly (flat head) which would require a corrective helmet. They haven't figured out why one year is bigger than the other but they are thinking it will require plastic surgery when she gets older (that is the least of my worries). I am hoping we can officially rule out hemihypertrophy at the next visit. It is so tough when your young baby has a health scare like this.

^that's a good sign. Try not to be overwhelmed by the recent events and take it a day at a time and not jump too far into the future.

DS2 had quite a profound slant to one side of his head as an infant and it was noticed while I was looking down at the top of his head and could see one side of his face protrude forward more than the other side. The pediatrician told us (unfortunately that seemed to be the only thing that he got right with our child) that it will right itself out and sure enough it did once ds started to walk etc. It did take a little, I think until he was at least 3 since ds was so little, his head needed to grow a bit more :)