|  | Family Health | Pediatrics

Pillows to Prevent Flat Head

With the American Academy of Pediatrics' "Back to Sleep" campaign, the rate of Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Syndrome mortality dropped dramatically. An unexpected side effect of this is positional plagiocephaly, a condition that "occurs when a baby's head develops a flat spot or becomes asymmetrical due to some kind of external pressure," according to BabyCenter.com. To remedy this, many companies sell pillows designed for infant use and shaped to prevent "flat head syndrome."

  1. Infant Head Bed Pillow

    • The Infant Head Bed(r) pillow, designed by Dr. Steven Warnock, is an FDA-approved pillow for use by infants under 5 months of age. Warnock, a specialist in pediatric craniofacial surgery, designed the pillow "to aid in the prevention of deformational plagiocephaly by helping parents to position their baby's head," according to the FAQ on InfantHeadBed.com.

    Baby Moon Pillow

    • The Baby Moon pillow was designed by Kelly Su when her daughter Kaitlyn began developing positional plagiocephaly, according to Su's website, ShopBabyMoon.com. Shaped like a doughnut, the pillow can be positioned in several different configurations and offers Velcro(r) connectors to secure the pillow in a specific position or shape.

    Boppy Noggin Nest

    • The Boppy Noggin Nest frames the baby's head with a cutout in the center, alleviating pressure on the baby's head and offering foam cushion support. The Boppy website, ShopBoppy.com, claims the pillow "is the only head support to help guard against 'Flat Head Syndrome.'" The site suggests using the pillow "in baby's bouncer, swing or stroller."

Pediatrics - Related Articles