#16
Shape of baby's head
Concerned from newborn to infancyShape of baby's head
Many mothers are concerned about the shape of their baby's head from the newborn period to infancy. Let's take a look at the so-called "zeppeki head," why it occurs, and whether there is any prevention or treatment for it.
The term cranial deformity is used to describe the "snoring" of the head.
As the baby is born through the narrow birth canal from the mother's abdomen at birth, pressure and other factors can cause the head to change shape, which is rare. The baby's head is soft because it allows the head bones to be flexible as it passes through the narrow birth canal, but it also allows the head bones to overlap slightly so that the head is as small as possible as it passes through the birth canal.
Therefore, if a newborn baby's head is very soft and left lying face up for a long time, the weight of the head may cause the back of the head to flatten into a precipice.
Also, when you put them to sleep facing either left or right, if they are all facing the same direction, they may develop a habit of turning in the same direction and their heads may become deformed.
The shape of the head is likely to change until the age of 1.5 yearsBody orientation and posture
By the age of 18 months, the bones that form the head are still soft and easily deformed. Since the bones that make up the head are not yet connected to each other, the shape of the head can easily change. Babies, especially those who have not yet developed their heads, tend to sleep on their backs throughout the day, but from around one month of age, it is advisable to play with your baby in a variety of positions, such as lying on your stomach or in a vertical position, so that he or she is not always lying on his or her back.
However, while "prone sleeping" tends to be a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome and should be watched carefully, "belly-up play" offers babies a different view and a wider range of interests than lying on their backs.
Let's put the baby on her belly and call out to her while the mother is also lying on her belly in the baby's field of vision. The baby will try its best to lift its head up when it hears its mother's voice, which it loves so much. At first, you may think that the baby is in some pain, but it has many advantages, such as preventing stiff neck muscles, preventing flattening of the head, and helping the development of muscles necessary for turning over, sitting up, and crawling. After the age of one month, we encourage you to incorporate these benefits into your daily life.
It is also fun to lay the baby on his/her belly on daddy's big chest and call out to him/her. After a bath, when wiping the baby's back or applying moisturizer, it is also pleasant to massage the baby from the waist to the shoulders with both hands, drawing a heart with the hands of the mother.
However, it is important to keep an eye on the baby and make sure to accompany her when she is lying on her stomach.
Other suggestions include playing with toys from the opposite direction when the baby is on his/her back in order to correct the baby's habit of turning around, alternating the direction of the baby's head and legs every day when putting the baby to sleep (the baby tends to turn his/her head in the direction of light or family voices), slowly trying to hold the baby upright as it changes the baby's view, as well as lying on his/her stomach (always supporting the baby if he/she is not fully necked), and playing with the baby's head and nose when the mother and baby are face to face. It is also a good idea to get into the habit of moving the head and neck by facing the baby and playing with the cheeks, nose, and forehead of both mother and baby.
In most cases of "positional cranial deformity," the deformity can be reduced or made less noticeable by daily efforts by mothers and fathers to improve body orientation and posture, but there are also rare cases of secondary deformity caused by disease (hydrocephalus, premature fusion of the skull, muscular plagiocephaly, etc.).
The regular health checkups for babies conducted by each municipality where you live include measuring the head circumference, and the doctor always checks the whole body during the examination.
Please take a thorough physical examination first, and by all means consult your doctor about any concerns or worries you may have.
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Midwife Yoko Nambu
After graduating from Tokyo Medical and Dental University School of Nursing and obtaining a national nursing license, and graduating from the Japanese Red Cross School of Midwifery and obtaining a national midwifery license, she worked as a midwife in the obstetrics and gynecology ward of Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, attending over 300 births and picking up babies. After that, she established "Toraube Inc.", a consultation office mainly for women's body. As a woman's ally, she provides consultation for problems at all ages. She believes that women should understand their own body as their own. She believes that this will lead to the solution of all problems and deals with them on a daily basis.
Her hobbies include traveling with her husband, listening to movies and music, and playing healthy mahjong.
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supporting many mothers as a midwife.
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