SIDS Prevention and Flat Spots

Placing infants on their back to sleep helps prevent SIDS, but how many 2-month olds have a flat spot on their head as a result?

It’s been over 20 years since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that babies sleep on their backs to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The recommendation worked SIDS has declined dramatically.

But now, something new has cropped up. Babies with flat spots on the back of their heads!

In a Canadian study, researchers tracked the incidence of this phenomenon…known medically as positional plagiocephaly.

They analyzed data from 440 infants collected during regular well-child visits. All were between 7 and 12 weeks old. More than 46 percent of the infants had a flat spot on their head! Three-quarters of the cases were considered mild.

The researchers say this high incidence indicates the need for better parental education on how to prevent the condition, especially before the 2-month well baby check-up.