Early Intervention Resources for
Babies Under Three Months Old
We’ve noticed a new trend: parents of younger and younger babies are reaching out for consultations. We’re now seeing little ones as young as 10, 8, 6, or even 4 weeks old. This shift is exciting—it shows a growing awareness and proactive approach to flat spots and head shape concerns.
In the past, the common advice from many healthcare providers was to take a “wait and see” approach. Parents would often bring up concerns at the 4- or 6-month well-child visits and be told to try more tummy time, repositioning, and then “wait and see” how things looked at the next appointment.
While we understand that providers want to avoid worrying families—especially since most parents hope to avoid helmet therapy—the “wait and see” approach can sometimes do more harm than good. For parents who are already worried (and even losing sleep over their baby’s head shape), delaying guidance can be frustrating, stressful, and lengthen the helmet process if treatment is the ultimate recommendation and decision.
Our perspective is different: the moment a parent is concerned, we’d love to see their child. Early visits allow us to provide education, strategies, and reassurance. At the very least, we can help prevent flatness from getting worse, and in many cases, we can guide families toward simple interventions that may reduce the need for a helmet altogether.
What to Expect at an Early Intervention
Cranial Consultation at Baby Bear
Measurements
Using manual tools, we will measure your baby’s head circumference, as well as a variety of other measurements to determine the current head shape and severity of asymmetry.
Download our Early Intervention Guide
Images
Images provide a visual baseline that can be used as part of the evaluation until the baby is old enough to tolerate a 3D scan - typically around four months of age.
This 10-page PDF packet is an excellent companion to what we discuss at the consultation. In it, you’ll find education and information related to:
Important timeline considerations for cranial care, growth, and potential helmet treatment,
Strategies and tips for gaining head shape correction without the use of a helmet, including simple, effective ways to address head shape from home,
Our best recommendations for products that can help prevent a flat spot from worsening or even gain correction without a helmet.
Education
We provide family with a robust amount of information that can help keep a flat spot from progressing, including torticollis exercises, repositioning strategies, and more.
FAQ: Can I use a pressure relief pillow or wedge while my baby sleeps?
We get this question a lot — and it’s a great one!
We do not recommend using commercially available products that lack medical evaluation for safety. For this reason, we advise against using positioning pillows or wedges purchased from online retailers such as Amazon. There are two devices that are FDA-approved for babies to address head shape concerns.
The Perfect Noggin
The Perfect Noggin is an FDA-approved mattress designed to assist with correcting head shape during all sleep. Developed by Harvard-trained craniofacial surgeon Gary F. Rogers, M.D., the Perfect Noggin is the world's only adjustable, anatomically-correct, contoured head shaping surface. This device can be used from birth until the baby begins to show signs of rolling. You can purchase the Perfect Noggin through their website. We also have some available at our office for rent.
You can learn more about the Perfect Noggin here.
Tortle Beanie
The Tortle Beanie is an FDA-cleared cap meant to assist with correction of flat spots during wake-time by offloading the flat spot while babies lay and play on their backs. Developed by Neonatologist Dr. Jane Scott, the Tortle is a safe and effective way to prevent worsening of flat spots and bring parents peace of mind.
You can learn more about the Tortle here.
Both of these products are safe and effective options for parents who are hoping to address a flat spot prior to four months of age, which is when we would pursue helmet treatment. Please reach out if you have any concerns about your child’s head shape - it is never too early!