Guest guest Posted January 6, 2002 Report Share Posted January 6, 2002 In a message dated 1/6/02 1:00:18 PM Pacific Standard Time, jwunsch65@... writes: I am sooo worried and hate it that it is Sunday and I can't call his doctor. I would seek an opinion from a pediatric plastic surgeon, who can tell you if you need tx with a helmut or not. was tx'ed and her facial assymetry is still a bit noticable but the orthotist said that when she loses the baby fat in her cheeks, it won't be as noticeable. Here's hoping! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2002 Report Share Posted January 6, 2002 , I think it is great that you have been able to get so much correction on the tort. There are differing opinins about whether or not the assymetry will correct itself or not. With your child being so young and the tort beginning to come under control it is possible that aggressive repositioning would resolve the assymetry. There are some people in the group who had GREAT luck with repositioning. We also have some parents that had no luck at all with repositioning and have opted for the helmet. Your baby is fairly young so if you are comfortable with this you could reposition for another month or two and see if any significant improvement has been made. Six months is a good time to begin treatment so you wouldn't be risking it by waiting. However, we do have members that began at four months and were very, very glad that they did. The choice is a difficult one, but I'm sure that you will make the correct decision for you baby! Marci (Mom to ) Oklahoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 Hello When Logan started PT we were aware of the facial asymmetry and his flat spot on his risht side. One of eyes appears smaller and one of his cheeks appears fuller. After 1.5 months of PT it was his physical therapist that recommended we talk to our ped about a helmet when his head didin't start rounding out and the facial asymmetry didn't get better. We were then recommended to a neurosurgeon that ordered a 3D catscan to rule out craniosynostosis and also wrote a prescription for the helmet. It is the orthotist that does the measurements on the head and will continue to do so to adjust the band. Logan was plastered for the STARband on 12/28 so we are still not in the band yet. Everything i have read says the earllier you start the better results you get . Had I known what I know now I would've pushed for the helmet earlier. If you dont' see the reults that you want I would talk to your ped about the helmet and inform him that you've done your homework on this subject. Thanks for the info about the tort ! Sara(mom to Logan) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 : If the plagio is very mild, then there may not be a whole lot that can be done about the facial asymmetry with a helmet. Although helmets/bands can help with assy., a lot of the time it is not 100% corrected. My daughter still has some facial assy. even after 5 months of treatment (and over a year graduated), although her ears lined up almost perfectly (look at Fischer from the top and compare the placement of the ears)! Her cheek still bulges a bit, and her forehead is still slightly uneven (you can really notice it when she wears sunglasses - there is a big gap over one eye), but all in all, I'm the only one who notices. Of course it never hurts to get a professional opinion! Kendra in Canada help please.... I have a question.... My son has/had mild torticollis. I discovered his condition at about 8 weeks and began some stretching. I got a PT involved when he couldn't lift his head off the ground at 3 months. He will be 4 months on Monday and he is nearly straight (95% of the time)and he is incredibly strong (after aggressive therapy). He watches two videos (25 minutes each) a day on his tummy (his head is at 90 degrees when he does this). So I am very happy with his progress. However, now that he is straight, I am noticing some assymetry. (I really only noticed it when I held him in the mirror) His right ear (tort side) sticks out a bit and one cheek (left) seems a little bigger than the other. He does have mild plagio (both doctor and PT say it isn't bad and have had be doing repositioning techniques)... my question is: Does this assymetry correct itself as they grow and as they continue with a straightened head.....or do you think this is something that requires a helmet?? How do measure to see if the assymetry is bad? I read somewhere that one child's ears were off by an inch (how do you measure that?)Please help out here... I am sooo worried and hate it that it is Sunday and I can't call his doctor.Thanks, ( & Fischer)For more plagio info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 Dear plagio group-- Thank you so much for your replies! It is so nice to hear your opinions. I took some pictures of my son's head from all directions so that I have something to compare it to. I do think his plagio is mild because I have a hard time seeing the flattening (his is not flat so much as it is not round). I have a question regarding asymmetry... Did any of your babies have one ear that stuck out more than the other? It doesn't LOOK like his ear is more forward or anything. Fischer has/had torticollis and one of his ears was constantly being folded in half by the way he held his head? Did anyone else experience this? Thanks for your time, & Fischer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 - Grace also had an ear folded from the way she rested her head on her shoulder. They said it was the way she was in the womb with her head bent over on one shoulder and her ear folded like that, the more she keeps that head off the shoulder the more the ear seems to be straightening out. But her ear is also slightly forward from the plagio drift of her head in the way that she leans it due to the torticollis. and Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 -- You decided to band Grace right? What helped you make that decision? Did she have some asymmetry? Thanks for your time, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 , 's ears actually did look like one was further forward then the other. It is not noticeable from the front, only when I look down at her head from the top. Marci (Mom to ) Oklahoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 - we did decide to put Grace in a helmet. we actually had a different situation in that our ped. is the one who diagnosed Grace early and then spoke to us about the possibilty of her needing to wear one. when we went back at 3 months the ped was still concerned (after we had been working on repositioning) that her head was starting to drift to the tort side. He recommended that when we went to the PT for the first time we also talk to him about what he thought about the head drift and he too thought we should see an orthotist. after visiting the orthotist who asked about our repositioning techniques etc. he also thought it was the right move to make. So we went ahead and had the helmet made and on Thursday picked it up and began. Today I am going back up for some adjustments and to talk to the orthotist about the fit etc. Yes Grace also has asymmetry on the tort side. It seems to be filling in as she gets her head up off of that side but the cheek on that side is fuller and her ear is a little farther forward and folded (as I mentioned) but continues to look better the more she comes up off of that side. Thanks and Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 -- That's funny because I notice that Fischer's cheek is fuller on the side opposite of his tort but that his ear on the tort side sticks out. His mouth and tongue slightly lean towards the fuller cheek too....do you notice this? Huh? I cannot wait to see the ortho on Thursday--I feel so anxious. I see my ped on Wed for his wellness checkup and will talk with him then. Thank you so much for your comments, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 , My son also had tort and he also had a fuller cheek on his non-tort side. I was told that because his back right of the head was getting flat from constant pressure, it was essentially pushing the cheek more forward. His tort ear was also smaller and more forward, which the band did a nice job in correcting for his 3 months of wearing it. He started a week shy of 5 months and ended up a little before his 8 month birthday. ' Mom ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 =on Grace her ear and cheek that is fuller on both on the tort side. As far as her tongue goes I haven't noticed it leaning the same way as her cheek? Once you go and talk to the ortho/ped it will make you feel much better it did me. And I don't know if the ortho/ped surgeon will sway you to do it if Fischer doesn't need it but I do know that as far as our orthotist that made the helmet, when we went in for a consultation with him he wanted to make sure we had tried agressive repositioning etc before he went ahead with the helmet. So I knew that it wasn't something he was pushing just because he made the helmet etc. Good luck at your appt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Hi , You may also want to consider aggressive repostionning techniques to help correct the asymmetry and the plagiocephaly. It hasn't work for everyone, but it did work for some of us (worked well for my son, you can see it on his site: http://www.geocities.com/alittleone2000/plagiopage.htm). Repositioning might be a good option for you, especially considering that your son is still young. Sounds like you have already started doing it with encouraging more tummy time. You might want to give it a try, and if you don't see the results you want, you can always consider helmet therapy later on too... Which ever way you choose to deal with it, make sure you take lots of pictures of your son's head to be able to evaluate for progress. Annick Mom to (27/01/01, repositioning grad : ) > > Message: 8 > Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 15:59:10 EST > From: jwunsch65@... > Subject: help please.... > > I have a question.... My son has/had mild torticollis. I discovered > his condition at about 8 weeks and began some stretching. I got a PT > involved when he couldn't lift his head off the ground at 3 months. > He will be 4 months on Monday and he is nearly straight (95% of the > time)and he is incredibly strong (after aggressive therapy). He > watches two videos (25 minutes each) a day on his tummy (his head is > at 90 degrees when he does this). So I am very happy with his > progress. > > However, now that he is straight, I am noticing some assymetry. (I > really only noticed it when I held him in the mirror) His right ear > (tort side) sticks out a bit and one cheek (left) seems a little > bigger than the other. He does have mild plagio (both doctor and PT > say it isn't bad and have had be doing repositioning techniques)... > my question is: Does this assymetry correct itself as they grow and > as they continue with a straightened head.....or do you think this is > something that requires a helmet?? How do measure to see if the > assymetry is bad? I read somewhere that one child's ears were off by > an inch (how do you measure that?) > > Please help out here... I am sooo worried and hate it that it is > Sunday and I can't call his doctor. > > Thanks, > > ( & Fischer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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