Babies most often wear special helmets to gently reshape their skulls, not to protect them like a bike helmet. These are used when the head is unusually flat or misshapen as the skull is still soft and growing.
Main medical reasons
The two main conditions are:
- Positional plagiocephaly (“flat head syndrome”), where lying on one area of the head causes a flat spot.
- Craniosynostosis, where one or more skull bones fuse too early and can affect skull shape and sometimes brain growth; surgery plus a helmet may be used to guide normal shape afterward.
In these cases, a custom helmet applies gentle pressure to prominent areas and leaves room over the flat area so the head rounds out as the baby grows.
How the helmets are used
These helmets are worn almost all day (often about 23 hours per day) for several months, usually starting around 4–6 months of age while the skull is still very moldable. They are made with a hard outer shell and soft inner foam, and when fitted correctly they should not be painful, though skin irritation or odor can occur if not adjusted or cleaned well.
For everyday bumps while learning to sit, stand, and walk, doctors generally do not recommend routine helmets; instead they focus on safe environments and supervision.