A baby head preference can show up in several ways. Maybe you’ve noticed that your baby almost always looks to the right, their head seems a little flatter on one side, or they latch better on one breast than the other. Tummy time is a struggle. Or perhaps they can turn their head both directions—but one direction is clearly their favorite.
These are observations we hear from parents every day.
A baby’s preferred head position, head shape, feeding mechanics, and early movement patterns can give us useful information about how they are moving and developing. They don’t automatically mean something is wrong, and parents don’t need to know why a pattern is happening before bringing it up.
Sometimes the most helpful first step is simply noticing the pattern.
Why Is a Baby’s Skull So Different?
A baby’s skull isn’t simply a miniature version of an adult skull.
At birth, the bones of the skull are connected by flexible sutures, with larger areas called fontanelles—or “soft spots.” This flexibility allows for molding around birth and accommodates the rapid growth of the brain and skull during infancy.
It also means an infant’s head shape can be influenced by the forces and positions they experience.
Pregnancy positioning, birth, neck mobility, preferred resting positions, and opportunities for movement can all provide useful context when assessing an infant.
At Radiant, this is why we ask about pregnancy and birth history. Was baby breech? Did they spend a lot of time in one position? Was labor long or very fast? Was the birth vaginal, assisted, or cesarean?
This isn’t about deciding that a particular type of birth was “good” or “bad.”
Birth history gives us information, not blame.
It simply provides additional context about what we may want to evaluate.
What Does a Baby Head Preference Look Like?
A head preference is one of the most common things parents bring to our attention.
Some babies can turn their head in both directions but strongly prefer one. Others have more significant restriction or develop a persistent head tilt, which may be associated with torticollis.
One reason we pay attention to a persistent preference is head shape.
Babies often spent a lot of time sleeping on their backs. When a baby consistently rests on the same area of their head, however, repeated positional pressure can contribute to positional plagiocephaly, or flattening of the skull.
But head shape isn’t the only thing we’re interested in.
Babies also benefit from opportunities to comfortably experience their world from both directions—looking, reaching, turning, tracking, rolling, pushing up, and eventually progressing through increasingly complex movement skills.
That’s why an infant with a persistent head preference deserves more than simply watching the flat spot. Persistent asymmetry is also one of the developmental patterns we encourage parents to pay attention to as their baby grows.
We want to understand why the preference is there and how the whole baby is moving.
What About a Flat Spot?
Positional plagiocephaly can develop for several reasons.
A baby may have limited neck movement, a strong positional preference, torticollis, or simply spend more time with pressure on one area of the skull.
When we evaluate head shape at Radiant, we don’t rely only on whether something “looks flat.”
When appropriate, Dr. Brandi takes cranial measurements and photographs to establish an objective baseline. Those measurements can be repeated over time to help determine whether asymmetry is improving, remaining stable, or progressing.
Head shape is only one part of the assessment.
We also look at cervical movement, head position, body tension, movement symmetry, developmental skills, and other findings to build a more complete picture of how the baby is functioning.
Some babies benefit from additional care such as physical therapy, and some degrees or patterns of skull asymmetry warrant evaluation for helmet therapy.
Chiropractic care doesn’t replace those options.
Sometimes the best plan involves several providers working together.
Feeding Gives Us Information, Too
One question we frequently ask parents is:
Does your baby feed differently on one side?
Feeding is a complex whole-body activity.
If a baby strongly prefers turning their head in one direction, has difficulty comfortably positioning their head and neck, or has other oral-motor challenges, parents may notice differences between feeding positions.
They may also report clicking, leaking milk, difficulty maintaining suction, a shallow latch, fatigue, or difficulty comfortably opening the mouth.
When feeding concerns are present, we don’t evaluate the mouth in isolation.
Depending on the baby’s individual presentation, Dr. Brandi’s assessment may include cervical movement, jaw movement, palate shape, oral function, sucking mechanics, body tension, positioning, and cranial findings.
Sometimes that assessment tells us another provider needs to be involved.
IBCLCs, feeding therapists, pediatric dentists, ENTs, pediatricians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other professionals can all bring different expertise to infant care.
At Radiant, collaboration isn’t a last resort.
It’s part of good pediatric care.
What Is a Pediatric Cranial Assessment?
Pediatric chiropractic care at Radiant may look different from what parents expect.
Rather than beginning by deciding where a baby should be adjusted, we begin by asking:
What is this baby showing us?
Depending on the child’s age and concerns, an infant assessment may include:
- Head shape and facial symmetry
- Cranial measurements and photographs
- Cervical range of motion
- Head turn or tilt preference
- Spinal and postural assessment
- Cranial motion and tension patterns
- Palate and oral function
- Primitive reflexes
- Movement symmetry
- Tummy-time tolerance
- Developmental skills
- Feeding history
- Pregnancy and birth history
No single finding tells the entire story.
The goal is to put the pieces together and determine what—if anything—needs additional support.
Wait…You Adjust a Baby’s Skull?
This is often the part of the conversation that surprises parents.
Pediatric cranial adjusting is not the high-velocity adjustment many people picture when they think about adult chiropractic care.
And we are definitely not “moving skull bones around.”
Cranial work at Radiant is gentle, slow, and specific. Dr. Brandi uses light contacts and subtle directed input based on the findings of each baby’s individual assessment.
One of her favorite ways to describe the pressure is:
Think about checking a tomato to see if it’s ripe. You use enough pressure to feel it—but you don’t squish the tomato. And we definitely don’t squish the baby.
Often, cranial work looks like almost nothing is happening.
A baby may lie comfortably on a flat, padded surface. Sometimes Dr. Brandi holds the baby in her lap or over her shoulder. Sometimes a parent holds them. Sometimes they’re nursing or taking a bottle. Older babies may be moving and playing on the floor while she works with them.
The baby doesn’t have to conform to a predetermined treatment setup.
We meet the baby where they are that day.
How Do We Know Whether Care Is Helping?
Pediatric care shouldn’t be based only on someone saying, “That feels better.”
We reassess.
Depending on why a baby is receiving care, we may monitor:
- Cranial measurements and head-shape photographs
- Cervical range of motion
- Head position
- Movement symmetry
- Body tension
- Tummy-time tolerance
- Feeding function
- Developmental progression
- Parent observations
If we’re not seeing the changes we expect, that’s useful information too.
It may mean modifying our approach, bringing another provider onto the team, or determining whether someone else is the better provider for that baby at that time.
One of the principles that guides pediatric care at Radiant is:
Right treatment. Right time. Right provider.
Sometimes chiropractic is an appropriate part of the plan. Sometimes it’s one piece of a larger collaborative plan. And sometimes another provider is what a child needs right now.
Knowing the difference matters.
Why Advanced Pediatric Cranial Training Matters at Radiant
Pediatric care is a major focus at Radiant Family Wellness, and Dr. Brandi’s practice is devoted almost exclusively to caring for infants and children.
Babies can’t explain what feels different or why a particular position is uncomfortable. Their assessment depends heavily on careful observation, examination, clinical reasoning, and an understanding of development.
That’s one reason Dr. Brandi has continued pursuing advanced pediatric education throughout her career.
She holds her CACCP certification through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and has studied with Peak Potential Institute since 2021, with an intensive focus on pediatric SOT spinal and cranial assessment and adjusting.
Dr. Brandi has completed both Peak Potential Institute’s pediatric spinal and pediatric cranial certification programs. Her training has included years of coursework, hands-on education, mentorship, independent study, and extensive preparation for certification examinations.
She has also pursued additional education in neurology and neurodevelopment to deepen her understanding of movement, sensory input, motor development, and the nervous system throughout childhood.
The goal isn’t to make pediatric care more complicated.
In many ways, it’s the opposite.
The better the assessment, the more specific we can be about what a child needs—and what they don’t.
Cranial care isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s nuanced and specific, and training matters.
What Should Parents Watch For?
Parents don’t need to evaluate cranial motion or determine whether their baby has torticollis.
A parent’s job is much simpler:
Notice your baby.
Does your baby:
- Consistently look in one direction?
- Have a persistent head tilt?
- Have flattening or asymmetry in their head shape?
- Strongly prefer one feeding side?
- Find tummy time particularly difficult?
- Seem to move more easily toward one side?
- Develop rolling or other movement skills differently from side to side?
If something consistently catches your attention, bring it up.
It may fall completely within typical developmental variation. It may simply need to be monitored. Or it may be worth taking a closer look.
Parents don’t need to have the diagnosis before they’re allowed to ask the question.
Our job is to help families understand what they’re seeing and, when additional support is appropriate, help determine the right next step for their child.
Have a Question About Your Baby’s Head Shape or Movement?
If you’ve noticed a persistent head preference, head tilt, asymmetry, feeding-side preference, or another movement pattern that has you curious, we’re happy to take a closer look.
A pediatric evaluation at Radiant considers the whole child—not just one symptom or one part of the body—and helps determine whether chiropractic care, monitoring, collaboration, or referral is the appropriate next step.