We often get asked “How do you get such good correction of skull flattening without a helmet?” Well, the answer is multifaceted but one of the ways is to get these babies OUT of containers. Containers are swings, bouncy seats, car seats, etc. Restricting movement of a young baby (with a very malleable skull) often …
Causes of Torticollis! The most common cause of torticollis is in-utero crowding/constraint. This is especially true with multiples! The neck muscles tighten when there is no room to move the head/neck around. Sometimes this can even cause a traumatic birth which can exacerbate the neck involvement. The use of containers such as swings, bouncy seats …
What we see here is called a “prominent occiput” or “occipital ledging”. Typically a baby will get these from their position in utero. We can help improve this by early intervention of ensuring baby sleeps directly on that bulge. The direct pressure helps it to blend in to the rest of the skull and not …
How long will my baby need therapy for torticollis? This is a question we get asked all the time. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer because there are soooo many variables including: age of referral, severity, parental commitment/compliance, therapist experience and day to day routines. We can tell you what the research says but …
How long will my baby need therapy for torticollis? Read More »
Plagiocephaly (also commonly called flat head syndrome) develops when an infant’s skull is flattened, due to repeated pressure on one part of the head. “Positional” plagiocephaly is the most common form and is caused by sleep position after birth. “Congenital” plagiocephaly is caused by in-uterine crowding/constraint – baby is typically born with skull asymmetries. Plagiocephaly …
Grabbing feet in supine is one of the first signs that baby will be rolling soon from back to tummy. This is important for sooooo many reasons: Time to transition out of swaddle for safety. (Go to sleep sack, not a Magic Merlin Sleep suit which keeps baby on back) Introduces the concept to baby …
Grabbing feet in supine – very important milestone in baby development Read More »
Brachycephaly is characterized by: increased width flattening across the back and head height, sometimes there are asymmetries and sometimes there aren’t. These babies love to lay on their backs and aren’t the biggest fans of tummy time. It’s just too darn hard! They also like to hang out in their bouncy seats. This is a …
Let’s talk about brachycephaly and scaphocephaly Read More »
The short answer is yes and it, along with all other containers, should be used sparingly. Although it is not a true “incline”, it does restrict a baby’s movement and this is something that we are desperately trying to avoid! We have also found that if a baby has torticollis, this device makes it very …
Oh, the containers. The wonderful “things” in which we put our babies. The choices are limitless. Go to any local baby store, and it can be a bit overwhelming. Forty-nine types of swings. Sixty-four different bouncer seats. Car seat carriers that snap right into the stroller? Wow – what a perfect set up! Bumbo seats. …
There has been some recent discussion about swaddling and how it relates to reflexes and sensory processing. We wanted to weigh in with our opinion. We are strong advocates for swaddling (up until 3- 4 months) and here is why: Restorative sleep is critical to brain growth and development. A body has to be able …
