Repositioning involves changing the position of your baby's head while he or she is sleeping and during activities while your baby is awake. Repositioning keeps your baby from always resting on the same area, allowing for a more even distribution of your baby's head weight and helping to prevent flat spots. Changing head positions also helps strengthen the muscles in the neck, which are important as babies begin to hold up their heads and sit up on their own.
Infants should be placed on their back for every sleep. Side sleeping is not as safe as lying on the back and is not advised. However, you can change your baby's sleeping position by alternating your child's direction in the crib. For example, place the baby's head at the top of the crib one night and toward the bottom the next night. You also may try changing the baby's head position — placing the infant to sleep with the head to one side for a night and then changing to the other side the next night.
Consider moving your baby's crib to different areas of the room; but be sure not to have your baby's crib always facing a wall. Babies are attracted to light and will try to turn their heads toward a window.
Once your baby is asleep, gently move his or her head to the non-preferred side (away from the flattened area).
Try placing a mobile on the side of the crib or playpen to encourage your baby to look in that direction.
Be sure your baby gets plenty of supervised "tummy time" when he or she is awake. Tummy time gives your baby's head a rest, and encourages the use of arm, leg and neck muscles, which helps to strengthen them. The more time your baby can spend playing on his or her tummy, the better.
Try to reduce the amount of time your baby spends in car seats, carriers, swings, high chairs and other devices that allow your child to rest on the back of his or her head.
If your baby has torticollis, your doctor may teach you some home exercises that can help stretch and massage your baby's contracting neck muscles.
Alternate the arm you use to hold your baby while bottle or breastfeeding.
When feeding, encourage your baby to turn his or her head away from the preferred side.
You can use soft pillows or rolled-up towels to hold your baby's head in position while in a car seat or carrier. Some companies make specially designed pillows to help hold the baby's head in the preferred position. Be sure to first ask for your doctor's advice.
Change your baby's diapers from the side. This encourages the baby to turn his or her head to look at you.
Try using a front carrier rather than a car seat/carrier when you go out with your baby – and even around the house. Babies enjoy being held.
American Academy of Pediatrics - Healthy Children: Ages & Stages, and your baby's head.
National Institutes of Health: Questions and Answers for Professionals on Infant Sleeping Position and SIDS.