Re: Couldn't sleep last night,was crying,worrying

[Guest guest]

Hey Kelli,

All of your feelings are normal. On one hand, you want your child to go through the treatment, and then on the other hand, it seems like a lot to put them through. My son had a passive helmet with the chin strap that you described. There are different helmets and bands, and depending on how they're designed determines the need for a chin strap. The DOC bands are designed with the strap on the side. My son 's helmet looked like a little football helmet, I guess, and had air holes on top, with a little chin strap. It didn't bother him at all, nor seem to pose a threat of hurting him or strangling him. The biggest problem with the chin strap was drool, especially during those teething times. However, at Seattle Children's where we went, they gave me extra chin straps so I could wash the dirty ones and always have a clean one on him. The helmet is big enough to allow proper growth into the helmet but never big enough to where it shifts really bad. was a year when we put him in it and he never even minded then.

From my son's results with a passive helmet at his age, his results were minimal. At this point he is a happy, very healthy, almost 21-month-old little boy with a growing head of blonde hair. Although I can see the plagio still, it is because I know it's there, but no one else notices it anymore. However, if I had to do it over again, I would've drive to California if I had to to get the DOC band. We're in Washington, and California is the closest CT clinic. I feel the passive helmets can be very great, but on younger babies, six to 10 months, I would say, because their growth spurts are occurring very rapidly, and that's what the passive helmets rely on. The passive helmet acts like a jell-o mold. The orthotist designs the helmet's shape in the desired shape of the baby's head when all is said and done and treatment is over. So when the baby's head grows, it grows into the shape of the helmet, not in the plagio pattern it had before. The DOC band however, applies pressure to the head. It also depends on growth, but it applies pressure, redirecting the growth of the skull, if that makes sense. I'm sure you've already heard all of that. But I really feel in older babies, such as Luke, the DOC band is the way to go. I had been given the runaround for months before getting my son's helmet, what with the Military issuing my son a helmet and then screwing us, basically, when we went through Children's, I was happy to get any kind of results, even the 20 percent they said he would get.

So, anyway, there is a picture of my son somewhere in the files section with his helmet. I know this is a hard topic. It's very confusing and very trying. Just hang in there and know that you are the greatest mom for wanting to do the best for your son. He will thank you later, and that's what I was aiming for with my son.

Good luck!

Kellie, mom of

Oly, WA

[Guest guest]

Oh my gosh I wrote this post a year ago I swear you can check the archives

and I continued to cry the first 2 weeks he had it then I fell in love with

the helmet and all was well. I know this is hard and all the what ifs are

scary but he wont choke and there aren't chin straps on doc to my knowledge

but I am not sure about the others and it shouldn't be able to shift anywhere

near covering his precious little face. I know this is a scary time for mommy

but You are doing great and are a wonderful mommy and you just need to hang

in there. We are here for you@

beck

[Guest guest]

sorry you had a rough night..we have all had our share of those..its a normal feeling..i've never seen one with a strap so i'm not sure about that..i don't think it will affect the walking...good luck and keep us posted

brenda

Couldn't sleep last night,was crying,worrying

Are we doing the right thing? He's 11mos.old,it's gonna be a big change for him & he hates anything on his head & it's only 15mm difference(mild,I'm told).I keep telling myself he'll adjust quickly.One little boy I saw at the orthotist had a chin strap on his helmet so I envision that choking Luke in his sleep or his helmet rotating around & suffocating him.I mean,it's not supposed to move that much right? & why a chin strap? most I've seen on the 'net don't have one.Will this affect his walking,he just started last week.Is it going to throw him off balance? (temporary I know) But see what kind of night I had,I'm driving myself crazy! ARGH!!!!For more plagio info