In this introductory module, physiotherapist Sari Uretsky Leung explains why many newborns develop mild flat spots on their heads and what parents can do about it. She outlines how a baby’s skull is naturally soft and flexible to allow for birth and rapid brain growth in the first year, making this early stage the most effective window for preventing and correcting uneven head shapes.
While most flat spots are caused by repeated pressure from lying in the same position and are not linked to pain, brain damage, or developmental issues, addressing them helps ensure proper vision, comfort with helmets later in life, and overall aesthetics. Sari describes common causes, what is and isn’t preventable, and reassures parents that most babies improve with consistent repositioning, tummy time, and individualized guidance. She also notes rare medical causes requiring pediatric assessment and highlights when physiotherapy is recommended for babies with tight neck muscles.
The next section will teach parents how to assess their baby’s head shape at home.
In this section, you’ll learn how to identify your baby’s head shape and understand the different types of flatness (plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, and scaphocephaly) by examining symmetry in the ears, forehead, cheeks, and overall head shape. Sari walks you through exactly what to look for so you can determine whether your baby has a flat spot and which type it may be, or whether their head shape is developing normally.
You’ll also explore the importance of tummy time, why it’s essential for strengthening your baby’s neck and trunk muscles, and how it plays a key role in preventing and improving flat spots. This section provides practical, easy-to-follow ways to do tummy time throughout the day and prepares you to choose the correct treatment or prevention video based on your baby’s unique needs.
In this section, you’ll learn targeted, practical strategies to treat each type of baby head flatness: plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, and scaphocephaly. Sari walks you through how to safely remove pressure from the affected area of the skull while creating gentle counter-pressure to encourage rounding. You’ll learn positioning techniques for tummy time, back-lying, side-lying, feeding, carrying, play, stroller use, and sleep, all tailored to the type of flat spot your baby has.
Each tutorial provides step-by-step methods using simple household items like rolled towels to support proper head positioning throughout the day. Whether your baby has a one-sided flat spot, a central flatness, or a long narrow head shape, this section gives you clear, actionable tools to help encourage healthy head rounding during their most important months of growth.
This section focuses on simple, everyday strategies to help keep your baby’s head round by reducing constant pressure on the back of the skull and encouraging healthy movement. You’ll learn how to use tummy time, side-lying play, alternating positions, and frequent changes in feeding, carrying, and diaper-changing setups to ensure your baby spends time on both sides of their head rather than the back.
Sari demonstrates how small daily habits, like switching the direction your baby sleeps in the crib, varying which side you approach your baby from, and limiting time in car seats, swings, and bouncers, can significantly reduce the risk of developing flat spots. This section gives you practical, proactive tools to support normal head development from day one.
This final video reinforces that minor head shape differences are common and often normal, but early action is important if a flat spot appears. Repositioning and tummy time are most effective before age two, when the skull solidifies, and many babies show significant improvement with consistent practice. In cases where a head shape isn’t correcting, a cranial helmet may be recommended, typically between 5–6 months of age. Sari encourages parents to follow the course techniques closely and seek an in-person physiotherapy assessment if progress isn’t noticeable by six months or if positioning feels difficult.