Are you concerned about your baby’s head shape?
Does your baby have a strong preference for turning their head to one side?
Early treatment and gentle mobilisation can make a big difference.
It is very common for babies to have asymmetrical head shapes. Babies’ skulls are soft and adaptable to help keep them safe during birth, but sometimes an uneven head shape can remain afterwards. This may be linked to their preferred head position, time spent lying on their back, or tightness in the neck muscles.
A strong preference for turning the head to one side is known as torticollis. This can make babies more likely to rest on the same area of their head, which may contribute to flatter areas developing.
With the right support, most babies go on to develop a more balanced head shape and easier neck movement as they grow.
We offer:
Early intervention is valuable — the younger your baby is, the easier it can be to make changes to their head shape and movement patterns.
Yes — it’s very common. Babies’ skulls are soft and adaptable, especially in the early months.
Many head shapes will naturally even out as a baby grows and starts moving more, but some babies may need a little support.
In many cases it can, particularly as your baby starts moving more freely and spending less time resting in one position.
However, if your baby has a strong preference to look one way, restricted neck movement, or ongoing pressure on one area of the head, it may not fully resolve without support.
Yes. We use gentle hands-on treatment tailored to your baby, which may include cranial osteopathy, positional release, gentle muscle stretching, massage and mobilisation.
We always aim to work within your baby’s comfort — and they will let us know if they are not happy!
Most babies do not need a helmet. Early assessment, treatment and simple changes to positioning and movement can make a big difference.
If a helmet may be appropriate, we can discuss this with you and guide you on the next steps.
The earlier, the better. We see babies from as early as one week old.
Babies are much more adaptable when they are little, so we can often achieve more with less treatment when they are very young.
If you’re unsure whether your baby needs our help, we can assess your baby and advise you. We are also happy to offer a free initial phone consultation to discuss your concerns and advise whether, and how, we may be able to help.
This can vary, but as a guideline, if there is an obvious torticollis or altered head shape, we often treat babies for around 3–6 sessions.
Each treatment plan is tailored to your baby’s needs, and your osteopath will give you their honest opinion after assessing your baby.
