My name is Dr. Jane Scott. I am a neonatologist/pediatrician and mother of four. I have made it my mission to end the Flathead Syndrome epidemic throughout the world.
Millions of babies each year are being diagnosed with Flathead Syndrome in the US alone! Every baby is at risk for developing Plagiocephaly (a flattening of the skull) or Torticollis (an imbalance in the neck muscles). Infants are born with very soft skulls, their heads are heavy and their neck muscles are weak. These qualities, along with the fact that infants spend the majority of their time sleeping on their backs, promote the right environment for baby to develop some form of Flathead Syndrome within the first six months of life. Many studies have now shown that Flathead Syndrome may not only be cosmetic. Babies may also develop sight and hearing abnormalities as well as developmental delays as a result of having Flathead Syndrome.
Fortunately, Flathead Syndrome is almost always preventable, especially when parents and caregivers are educated about the issue and proactive in their prevention efforts. Repositioning the baby every 2-3 hours may help in the prevention of Flathead Syndrome, as well alternating the arm in which a baby is held or fed. Car seats and strollers keep our babies safe when traveling, but are another important place to remember re-positioning the baby every few hours. Even while wearing babies in slings or carriers, re-position often to prevent the development of flat spots or imbalanced neck muscles. Another way to help prevent Flathead Syndrome is to practice supervised tummy time right from birth so that the baby becomes familiar and comfortable in this position.
Check out this video with real-life moms discussing their experiences with this issue.
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Born in Kenya, Dr. Jane Scott attended the University of Western Australia Medical School in Perth. She attended the University of Colorado Medical School and completed her residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Neonatology at Duke University while simultaneously raising four young children. Dr. Jane is currently writing her first book on plagiocephaly, which is slated for release in Spring 2013. She is the founder of Tortle Products. For more information about Tortle and Dr. Jane’s mission, visit Tortle.com; on Facebook at facebook.com/TortlebyDrJane; and on Twitter at twitter.com/TortlebyDrJane
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