Flat Head in Toddlers: Causes, Concerns, and What to Do

Question
My 2 1/2 year old son has a flat spot on the back of his head.  This was noticed back when he was 6 months old and repeatedly brought to the attention of the pediatrician.  He told us that the shape was of no concern and would fix itself.  It did not.  Now, the head shape remains the same, the right side of his face protrudes out farther than the left, his upper and lower jaw are not aligned and the teeth on the right side do not touch when he closes his mouth.  As a result of these issues, he has trouble speaking for which he is receiving therapy and refuses to eat foods which require a lot of chewing.

Is there anything that can be done to fix his head shape and help my son?

Answer
Hello,

If a child is having neurologic deficits such as speaking and eating difficulties as the result of cranial malformation the child should be seen by a pediatric neurologist.  They might start with imaging studies like an X-Ray or CT scan to try to identify a cause of the defect.  Normal head size and shape is highly variable but when neurologic defecits are the direct results of the malformtion further evaluation would be indicated.

Good luck