For the most part, human bodies and baby heads are made to work together during childbirth. The female pelvis is flexible and can shift to widen the pelvic outlet and allow the baby to enter the world. On the other side, the baby’s skulls are also flexible. During labor, the baby’s skull plates can compress, creating a cone-like-looking head, allowing the baby to fit through a narrow opening.
This cone-shaped appearance is called Caput Succedaneum, and 1 of 3 newborns will come out looking at least slightly this way. If a baby is in the birthing canal for a long time, it is more common that they will arrive with a slightly oblong cranium. First-time parents see this most frequently as their babies tend to drop into the pelvis much earlier and with much longer labor than subsequent babies.
Are There Any Risks?
The cool thing about the Caput Succedaneum is that it resolves relatively quickly. We usually see a difference in the first few hours, which will go down entirely within the first few days of life. This conehead appearance is not a sign of birth trauma or anything to worry about. Your baby can go on in life to become the next rocket scientist or astrophysicist. Like their peers, they will get a round head filled with hair.
Some parents worry that if their child is born with a Caput Succedaneum, they will be at a higher risk of having a flat head spot or needing a helmet. These two things are not linked. The risks for a baby needing a helmet and having a flat head spot are from spending too much time in one position during the newborn phase.
Can I Do Anything to Fix It?
You cannot fix a newborn’s cone head, but there are some things that you can do to help prevent them from developing a flat spot on their head and help your baby along as their head begins to round out. The first is doing tummy time. Sometimes, we think tummy time can only happen on the ground, but baby wearing and having the baby lay chest-to-chest on you are two other ways to encourage tummy time.
Another tip is to limit time in the car seat. Although many use bucket seats as a place to sleep their baby, this can cause some flat head issues, which is a safety risk for your newborn. The car seat belongs in the car on the base that it comes with. Limiting the time in one of these seats to only during drives is a great way to help with the head rounding out and prevent fatal incidents that car seats out of their bases can cause.
The best way to help with a baby’s conehead is to hold them upright in your arms often or switch sides frequently when sleeping on you. Holding your baby close not only facilitates rounding out the head but also facilitates bonding and nursing. Isn’t it wonderful how nature seems to know the way in almost every case?
In very rare circumstances, seeing your child’s pediatrician can be helpful, for instance, if the cone-like appearance hasn’t gone away or gone down by the child’s first week of life, if your baby seems in pain, or if your gut just knows something is off. You are the expert on your baby, and advocating for them to be seen is never a bad idea.
