Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 hi, i recently noticed that my daughter, who is 6 months old, has VERY asymmetrical eyes. one appears much rounder and larger than the other. i took her to the pediatrician today. the ped said that her head shape is " a little bit flat, but her ears are even " (when viewed from the top). the ped also noticed that there was a " slight " bulge in my child's forehead. overall, though, she told me that i have nothing to worry about and that there was no need to look further at this problem. i disagree with the doctor and am not convinced that i should simply ignore this problem when it might get worse. i will try repositioning techniques on my own, however, does anyone know of the effectiveness of this? do you think i should see another pediatrician or am i being overly reactionary? does very mild plagio generally self correct? if my daughter had plagio would it be more obvious than it is? any thoughts, info, input would be WELCOMED. thank you. jennifer in san francisco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 , Hi and welcome to the group! It's not uncommon for Doctors to treat plagio mildly- and to tell you not to worry that it will correct itself. I have seen lots of people on this board come and go and I think the majority wished they had listened to that little voice inside that right now is telling you to treat this matter seriously. I would also push for a referral to a nuerologist for further evaluation. If the Doc refuses, which he/she I believe is required by law to allow you that right, I would check into switching peds or contact a Cranial Tech or STARband office near you for a free consult/ evaluation. My son had the smaller eye, the puffier cheek, and what they call " bossing " or a protruding forehead, as the flat part pushes that side of the face more forward. Definetly continue to reposition off that flat spot as much as possible, and limiting time spent on the back of the head will help keep it from progressing. The rolled up receiving blankets worked for us to a degree, I would put it at the base of the neck in his swing and this would prop my son's head off the back. However repositioning as a whole failed and we opted for the DOC band with great results. Also make sure that your ped has looked into the possibility of torticollis, a tight or shortened neck muscle that may be causing your child to only use one side- this is a big factor in developing plagio, and you'll want to rule that out since physical therapy is needed to lengthen or stretch out that tight neck muscle. I encountered a Doctor that made light of it as well, and thanks to this group, I was able to get the referral early and now my son has no facial asymmetry to speak of. It never hurts to get a second opinion, and at 6 months, I would start working on this asap, the sooner you get answers/treatment, the better the results. If this is something that you feel is a concern, make sure your Doctor takes note and does the right thing by sending you to a specialist for further eval. Good luck and please keep us posted! ' Mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 Hi and welcome. All of your concerns are very valid and plagio comes in all types of severity - mild to severe. It's hard to say without seeing your daughter, but if her ears are symmetrical then perhaps it is only a mild case. Repositioning can be quite effective in some cases. If tort is present then repositioning can be a real nightmare. Also, as the baby gets more and more mobile it gets more and more difficult. If you want to see results with repositioning you have to be very aggressive with it. You also need to increase supervised tummy time. Check out www.plagiocephaly.org/support for some good repositioning tips. If you have serious concerns about your doctor's lack of support I would definitely recommend getting a second opinion. You might also press your ped to give you a referal to a specialist to get his/her opinion. The bottom line is to trust your instinct. If your gut is telling you that it's not right then you should seek more information. In the meanwhile try to reposition aggressively and increase supervised tummy time. Best of luck and please keep us posted. Marci (Mom to ) Oklahoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 so glad you found us and this site-welcome. I don't think you are being over reactive parent youa re being a great proactive mommy so keep up the great work. The protrusion on the forehead is known as bossing and the assymetrical features eye and cheek you mentioned are all typical plagio effects. Repositioning has been successful for many parents on this site and for others it has not. 6 months is a great age to be proactive in this and start repositioning now. I will attach some links for you to take a look at to help you out. If you are concerned if there is a cranial tech located near you they do helmet therapy and would leet you come in for an evaluation to give you their opinion on weather or not helmet therapy would be appropriate for your precious one. I willattach their link as well as another helmet company orthoamerica for you to check out. If you feel you need a second opinion then follow your mommy instincts and get one-many parents will tell you that they got the nothing to worry about fromt heir ped too and then were very upset that they listened to that so you are doing the right thing coming here and being proactive. Also take pictures from all angles and take them often so you can see the actual comparison on film-you would be amazed at what pictures tell you when your eyes deceive you and if you have any pictures of your little one please share them with us. This is a very frightening time for parents but we are here for you every step of the way so lean on us. We have all been in your shoes. Here are the links. Beck Mom to and doc grad repositioned Memphis. TN Clinic Locations - Cranial Technologies Parent Support Orthomerica Butterfly Support Pillow, positioning aid for premature infants Repositioning Techniques Baby Slings, Baby rs from Maya Wrap commonplagioquestions Baby Pillow, Baby Gift, Prevent Flat head, Baby Gear, Infant Pillow Sleep Positioners *EARLYINTERVENTION Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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