Lying on one side can change a baby's head shape

27 Jun 2008

Parents are being urged to be aware of what side their baby sleeps on, as it could have lasting effect on the shape of their head.

Laura Connolly and Mark Broomhead told the Daily Mail that their son's ears have become misaligned because he always turns his head to the right when he is put in bed.

The condition is known as positional plagiocephaly and is caused when the baby's head flattens on the side rather than at the back where it normally does. It is not thought to cause any brain or development damage.

Ms Connolly explained that if she had known of the condition she would have made more effort to stop Jaydon always lying on one side.

"We've been told the bones will gradually move back into shape but there's no guarantee," she said. "There are cases of adults whose heads have always stayed the wrong shape."

She added that she and her husband are considering getting Jaydon fitted with a helmet if his head does not go back to normal.

The NHS warns that there is no scientific evidence which yet proves that the helmet method is effective in correcting babies head shape.

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