Re: Help ... our ortho says our son needs 2nd band after only 8 wks of treatment

[Guest guest]

Hi mom to william, have you checked out Angelflight.com they offer

free flight on private jets for medical treatmen. you log on and ask

and you never know it may be offered to you.

The treatment questions will be better answered by other people

who'll post next.

lorraine.

> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8

> weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon

as

> possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting

date

> and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets

the

> second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in

that

> band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how

> long treatment would be, she just kept saying " average treatment

time

> is 4 1/2 months. " ) It seems a little early to decide he needs a

new

> band.

>

> BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and

we

> live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every

> other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights

> and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he

started

> and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we

> believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up

our

> helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in

> Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it

> was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His

> cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations

from

> normal.)

>

> When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or

> measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything

> but " eyeball it " to decide he needs a second band. I think I may

> insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked,

> she said that it would come out differently each time because it is

> not that scientific!!)

>

> He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the

> band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his

> head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is

> this normal?

>

> We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone

else

> has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so

early

> in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not

that

> good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3)

> how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get

any

> measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if

> anyone has anything else to add.

>

> ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!

> -Mom to

[Guest guest]

Hi 's mom:

I have an idea. Call CT headquarters and ask to speak with Carol

(the president) or Tim Littlefield. Explain what is happening and

get their opinion. That way, if there is a technical reason that

your son needs the second helmet, you will hear it from a couple of

different folks. If the Orthotist is not doing what she needs to do,

the president of the company will be notified and the proper

retraining can take place.

Just to let you know, we just received Rhiannon's first DOC band last

week, and we were told that she may need another band (due to her

severity and shape issues) in order to get the maximum results. So,

I have heard of this, but we did take pictures and measurements as

well, so I don't know why that didn't happen for you...

Good luck, and let us know what you decide to do, and how it works

out in the end!

Kind regards,

, Rhiannon's mom

> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8

> weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon

as

> possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting

date

> and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets

the

> second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in

that

> band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how

> long treatment would be, she just kept saying " average treatment

time

> is 4 1/2 months. " ) It seems a little early to decide he needs a

new

> band.

>

> BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and

we

> live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every

> other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights

> and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he

started

> and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we

> believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up

our

> helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in

> Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it

> was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His

> cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations

from

> normal.)

>

> When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or

> measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything

> but " eyeball it " to decide he needs a second band. I think I may

> insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked,

> she said that it would come out differently each time because it is

> not that scientific!!)

>

> He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the

> band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his

> head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is

> this normal?

>

> We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone

else

> has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so

early

> in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not

that

> good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3)

> how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get

any

> measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if

> anyone has anything else to add.

>

> ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!

> -Mom to

[Guest guest]

, Rhiannon's mom

Thanks so much. I think that is great advice.

We are obviously wiling to do whatever it takes to "fix" Will's head, but are nervous that it is not working properly and we are losing more precious time.

I will feel better if I get a second opinion from the CT people (especially if they take a look at pictures of his head, measurements, and pictures of how the band fits.)

-'s mom

Re: Help ... our ortho says our son needs 2nd band after only 8 wks of treatment

Hi 's mom:I have an idea. Call CT headquarters and ask to speak with Carol (the president) or Tim Littlefield. Explain what is happening and get their opinion. That way, if there is a technical reason that your son needs the second helmet, you will hear it from a couple of different folks. If the Orthotist is not doing what she needs to do, the president of the company will be notified and the proper retraining can take place.Just to let you know, we just received Rhiannon's first DOC band last week, and we were told that she may need another band (due to her severity and shape issues) in order to get the maximum results. So, I have heard of this, but we did take pictures and measurements as well, so I don't know why that didn't happen for you...Good luck, and let us know what you decide to do, and how it works out in the end!Kind regards,, Rhiannon's mom> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8 > weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon as > possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting date > and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets the > second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in that > band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how > long treatment would be, she just kept saying "average treatment time > is 4 1/2 months.") It seems a little early to decide he needs a new > band.> > BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and we > live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every > other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights > and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he started > and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we > believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up our > helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in > Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it > was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His > cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations from > normal.)> > When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or > measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything > but "eyeball it" to decide he needs a second band. I think I may > insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked, > she said that it would come out differently each time because it is > not that scientific!!)> > He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the > band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his > head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is > this normal?> > We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone else > has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so early > in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not that > good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3) > how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get any > measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if > anyone has anything else to add. > > ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!> -Mom to For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

-

Thanks! That helps a lot. My husband and I are getting more and more nervous. We thought it was strange that it goes over his ears and eyes so easily. I am scared that a bad fit can do more damage than good.

It sounds like you have a great ortho! Thank you for thinking of us!!!

Re: Help ... our ortho says our son needs 2nd band after only 8 wks of treatment

Willilam's Mom-My heart goes out to you and your travels. We have to drive 2.5 hours each way for our appts every other week and I thought that was bad. So best of luck there.As far as measurements and pictures, our Ortho measures every time and takes pictures every time. He is very concerned about fit and explained to us it should not roll over his ears or down over his eyes. We have STAR Band, but the fit issues are the same as with Doc Band. Our son has severe plagio and he said if the helmet doesn't fit correctly it could do more damage than good for his head. I would definetly pursue this further with the ortho or even someone higher up. We also had red spots and he wanted to see him right away to make sure it wasn't a fit issue. My son has only had his on two weeks, but the care we have received is outstanding. Good Luck, I'll be thinking of you-Ian 6.5 months old> > We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8 > > weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon > as > > possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting > date > > and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets > the > > second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in > that > > band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how > > long treatment would be, she just kept saying "average treatment > time > > is 4 1/2 months.") It seems a little early to decide he needs a > new > > band.> > > > BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and > we > > live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every > > other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights > > and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he > started > > and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we > > believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up > our > > helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in > > Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it > > was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His > > cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations > from > > normal.)> > > > When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or > > measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything > > but "eyeball it" to decide he needs a second band. I think I may > > insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked, > > she said that it would come out differently each time because it is > > not that scientific!!)> > > > He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the > > band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his > > head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is > > this normal?> > > > We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone > else > > has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so > early > > in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not > that > > good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3) > > how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get > any > > measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if > > anyone has anything else to add. > > > > ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!> > -Mom to > > >

[Guest guest]

> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8

> weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon as

> possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting date

> and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets the

> second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in that

> band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how

> long treatment would be, she just kept saying " average treatment time

> is 4 1/2 months. " ) It seems a little early to decide he needs a new

> band.

>

> BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and we

> live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every

> other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights

> and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he started

> and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we

> believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up our

> helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in

> Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it

> was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His

> cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations from

> normal.)

>

> When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or

> measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything

> but " eyeball it " to decide he needs a second band. I think I may

> insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked,

> she said that it would come out differently each time because it is

> not that scientific!!)

>

> He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the

> band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his

> head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is

> this normal?

>

> We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone else

> has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so early

> in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not that

> good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3)

> how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get any

> measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if

> anyone has anything else to add.

>

> ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!

> -Mom to

Hi,

Our son has flattening in the back as well. We are being treated at a

children's hospital in our state.The orthotics dept. took the casting and made

the band. They do all adjustments and our specialist takes pictures at every

adjustment and monitors his progress closely. We are very happy with the results

after just three months. Jack is 7 1/2 months old and rarely complains abou

wearing the band. You may want to look into a Childrens Hospital near your home.

Best of luck!!!

[Guest guest]

The length of time a DOC Band can be worn is dependent on many

factors including how fast the baby's head is growing and the

severity of the original deformity. We can estimate based on the

child's age, but since each child is an individual it becomes very

difficult to predict " exactly " how long or how much correction will

occur.

It is not uncommon to have infants outgrow a band in 8-12 weeks. Most

children under 8 months will outgrow in that time frame. Again,

because it is the human body, this does vary. As the head corrects

and changes, the pressures can become distributed over a larger area,

and this can reduce the band's effectiveness over time. Bands that

are left on too long can actually start to negatively impact the

head. I can appreciate 8-12 weeks seems like a very short time, but

we have to remember this is a device placed on a rapidly growing

brain and skull. As treatment progresses, our therapists are

experienced at educating parents as to the amount of time left in a

band, and will then recommend if a second DOC Band would be an

option. Certainly this is up to each parent & physician whether to

proceed.

Correction is typically assessed visually - both by physicians and

therapists. Anthropometric measurements are used primarily for

research and for some insurance companies. However, the measurements

are only a tool- they have significant limitations and most

physicians & therapists do not use them in making decisions regarding

treatment. Anthropometric measurements are linear, 2-dimensional

measurements on what can be a very complex, 3-dimensional shape.use

bony landmarks on the head. If the flattening is above or below a

specific measurement - the numbers will indicate the head is looking

pretty good when in fact, it isn't. The opposite can also happen -

the measurement can show quite a bit of asymmetry when in fact the

head is looking much better.

I would say 95% of the children we treat have received their

perscription for treatment based on a visual assessment. Even when CT

Scans etc are done, these are done to rule out other diagnosis and

are not used to determine treatment. It is not unusual that a child

does not have anthropometric measurements as they are not part of our

treatment protocol. Assessment of our treatment is done using the 3-

dimension beginnning model of the infant's head. The therapist

should be able to point out areas of correction and areas still

requiring further improvement.

I hope this information is helpful. I would be happy to talk with

you further to answer any other questions you may have.

Sincerely

Carol kson

Cranial Technologies

866-362-2263 ext 231

> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8

> weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon

as

> possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting

date

> and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets

the

> second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in

that

> band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how

> long treatment would be, she just kept saying " average treatment

time

> is 4 1/2 months. " ) It seems a little early to decide he needs a

new

> band.

>

> BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and

we

> live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every

> other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights

> and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he

started

> and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we

> believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up

our

> helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in

> Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it

> was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His

> cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations

from

> normal.)

>

> When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or

> measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything

> but " eyeball it " to decide he needs a second band. I think I may

> insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked,

> she said that it would come out differently each time because it is

> not that scientific!!)

>

> He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the

> band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his

> head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is

> this normal?

>

> We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone

else

> has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so

early

> in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not

that

> good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3)

> how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get

any

> measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if

> anyone has anything else to add.

>

> ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!

> -Mom to

[Guest guest]

Carol:

Thanks for taking time to help explain this. We do appreciate it.

Debbie Abby's mom DOCGrad

MI

> > We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for

8

> > weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as

soon

> as

> > possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting

> date

> > and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets

> the

> > second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in

> that

> > band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how

> > long treatment would be, she just kept saying " average treatment

> time

> > is 4 1/2 months. " ) It seems a little early to decide he needs a

> new

> > band.

> >

> > BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay,

and

> we

> > live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every

> > other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of

flights

> > and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he

> started

> > and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and

we

> > believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up

> our

> > helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in

> > Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told

it

> > was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His

> > cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations

> from

> > normal.)

> >

> > When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or

> > measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything

> > but " eyeball it " to decide he needs a second band. I think I may

> > insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I

asked,

> > she said that it would come out differently each time because it

is

> > not that scientific!!)

> >

> > He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the

> > band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns

his

> > head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it.

Is

> > this normal?

> >

> > We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone

> else

> > has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so

> early

> > in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not

> that

> > good (I know there was a different therapist there last year),

(3)

> > how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get

> any

> > measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if

> > anyone has anything else to add.

> >

> > ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!

> > -Mom to

[Guest guest]

Carol-

Thank you. This is very helpful. I just got home from work and was relieved to read this post. I have just finished reading them all to my husband and he was pleased as well.

We are planning to speak with our orthotist tomorrow (we planned to today, but the babysitter was sick and we had to shuffle our baby around and didn't have time) to go over some of our questions. We may have additional questions for you after that. I appreciate your availability on this issue.

I am happy to hear that it is not unheard of to outgrow a helmet in only 8 weeks (when he is 9 1/2 months old), but on the "rare" side.

Thank you,

Jen, 's mom

Re: Help ... our ortho says our son needs 2nd band after only 8 wks of treatment

The length of time a DOC Band can be worn is dependent on many factors including how fast the baby's head is growing and the severity of the original deformity. We can estimate based on the child's age, but since each child is an individual it becomes very difficult to predict "exactly" how long or how much correction will occur.It is not uncommon to have infants outgrow a band in 8-12 weeks. Most children under 8 months will outgrow in that time frame. Again, because it is the human body, this does vary. As the head corrects and changes, the pressures can become distributed over a larger area, and this can reduce the band's effectiveness over time. Bands that are left on too long can actually start to negatively impact the head. I can appreciate 8-12 weeks seems like a very short time, but we have to remember this is a device placed on a rapidly growing brain and skull. As treatment progresses, our therapists are experienced at educating parents as to the amount of time left in a band, and will then recommend if a second DOC Band would be an option. Certainly this is up to each parent & physician whether to proceed. Correction is typically assessed visually - both by physicians and therapists. Anthropometric measurements are used primarily for research and for some insurance companies. However, the measurements are only a tool- they have significant limitations and most physicians & therapists do not use them in making decisions regarding treatment. Anthropometric measurements are linear, 2-dimensional measurements on what can be a very complex, 3-dimensional shape.use bony landmarks on the head. If the flattening is above or below a specific measurement - the numbers will indicate the head is looking pretty good when in fact, it isn't. The opposite can also happen - the measurement can show quite a bit of asymmetry when in fact the head is looking much better. I would say 95% of the children we treat have received their perscription for treatment based on a visual assessment. Even when CT Scans etc are done, these are done to rule out other diagnosis and are not used to determine treatment. It is not unusual that a child does not have anthropometric measurements as they are not part of our treatment protocol. Assessment of our treatment is done using the 3-dimension beginnning model of the infant's head. The therapist should be able to point out areas of correction and areas still requiring further improvement. I hope this information is helpful. I would be happy to talk with you further to answer any other questions you may have.SincerelyCarol ksonCranial Technologies866-362-2263 ext 231> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8 > weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon as > possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting date > and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets the > second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in that > band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how > long treatment would be, she just kept saying "average treatment time > is 4 1/2 months.") It seems a little early to decide he needs a new > band.> > BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and we > live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every > other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights > and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he started > and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we > believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up our > helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in > Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it > was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His > cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations from > normal.)> > When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or > measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything > but "eyeball it" to decide he needs a second band. I think I may > insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked, > she said that it would come out differently each time because it is > not that scientific!!)> > He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the > band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his > head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is > this normal?> > We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone else > has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so early > in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not that > good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3) > how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get any > measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if > anyone has anything else to add. > > ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!> -Mom to For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

Thanks!!

Re: Help ... our ortho says our son needs 2nd band after only 8 wks of treatment

> We are concerned because our son has only been in the helmet for 8 > weeks when his ortho told us we need to get a second band, as soon as > possible. (We have now agreed that July 3rd will be the casting date > and he will get the helmet 10 days later which will mean he gets the > second helmet after 3 1/2 months.) Then she said he would be in that > band through November. (In the beginning she couldn't tell us how > long treatment would be, she just kept saying "average treatment time > is 4 1/2 months.") It seems a little early to decide he needs a new > band.> > BACKGROUND: We have not been able to get our insurance to pay, and we > live in Colorado so we have to fly to Arizona for treatment every > other week. (Which will be $6000 in helmets and 7 months of flights > and cab rides.) Will was 7 1/2 (almost 8) months old when he started > and is 9 1/2 months now. We haven't seen much improvement, and we > believe our ortho is not that experienced and may have messed up our > helmet early on with bad adjustments. We use Cranial Tech in > Arizona. His flatness is all on the back side, and we were told it > was moderate to severe (on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7 or 8.) (His > cephalic index is 99.25 which is more than 2 standard deviations from > normal.)> > When we began treatment our ortho didn't do any pictures or > measurements until I insisted. She also hasn't done anything > but "eyeball it" to decide he needs a second band. I think I may > insist on another set of measurements and pictures! (When I asked, > she said that it would come out differently each time because it is > not that scientific!!)> > He had bad luck with red spots early on and she had to adjust the > band accordingly. Now the band is pretty loose. When he turns his > head it can actually move so much that his ear is underneath it. Is > this normal?> > We want to do what is best, but we were wondering (1) if anyone else > has had this experience where they recommend a second helmet so early > in treatment, (2) if anyone else thinks Margie in Arizona is not that > good (I know there was a different therapist there last year), (3) > how the helmet is supposed to fit, (4) if anyone else didn't get any > measurements or pictures done (until they insisted), and (5) if > anyone has anything else to add. > > ANY advice will help!!! Thank you in advance!!!> -Mom to Hi, Our son has flattening in the back as well. We are being treated at a children's hospital in our state.The orthotics dept. took the casting and made the band. They do all adjustments and our specialist takes pictures at every adjustment and monitors his progress closely. We are very happy with the results after just three months. Jack is 7 1/2 months old and rarely complains abou wearing the band. You may want to look into a Childrens Hospital near your home. Best of luck!!! For more plagio info