Re: Comforting Article/Hannah

[Guest guest]

Hi Hannah!

I have missed the Plagio board very much, and only just got internet

available at our new house!

I wanted to clarify my wording " working against " - by that I meant

working to accomplish the task, not trying to discourage the task of

establishing standards. I'm very sorry for the confusion! I do

think the orthotics industry is in full support of establishing some

guidelines and standards for evaluation and treatment.

I'm glad to be back, but it is busy with a toddler and a newborn, so

my posts may be sporadic for a while,

Christie (Mom to Repo'd Remy)

> > >

> > > >

> > > > From: " redlocks2003 " <redlocks@i...>

> > > > Date: 2004/12/29 Wed PM 02:56:27 EST

> > > > Plagiocephaly

> > > > Subject: Re: Comforting Article

> > > > It is certainly encouraging that improvement in rounding

> >and

> > > >symmetry was noted over time in this study.

> > >

> > > Yes, but not being an expert in this area, I have no way of

> > knowing what these numbers actually " look like " on a diagram

> in

> > terms of amount of head distortion. One thing that was

> interesting

> > was that the maximum (in addition to the means) did drop at

> the 2

> > year mark. So that means that even the " worst " amount of

> distortion

> > improved somewhat by the 2 year mark. But what this would

> acutually

> > look like on a diagram I have no idea...

> > >

> > >

> > > >My own opinion about this study is that the measurement

> > >threshholds

> > > >for what is considered to be an actual plagiocephaly or

> > > >brachycephaly case is much, much too high, resulting in an

> > >absurdly

> > > >low 3% occurrence recorded at the 2 years of age mark.

> With >more

> > > >appropriate threshholds, the results would have appeared

> > > >differently.

> > >

> > > I'm 99% sure there was a table in there that addressed this

> very

> > issue. Actually, I'm positive because I remember looking at it

> very

> > closely. They had a table that showed how the results would

> look

> > using a variety of different thresholds. I think the " worst "

one

> > was something like 12% at 2 year follow-up, but the number of

> > earlier cases also seemed unrealistically high using that

> number

> > (something like 25% or 30% if I recall).

> > >

> > > > Reading between the lines of our communique, my

> > > >impression was that they really don't care for helmets and

> > >bands.

> > > >He basically said, " We don't do helmets and bands, we do

> >this

> > > >instead " in so many words.

> > >

> > > Interesting.

> > >

> > > >Although approved of by their ethics commitee, I was

> >disturbed to

> > > >read that NONE of the parents was given any advice at all

> >about

> > > >their child's headshape. This is the equivalent of saying

> >DO

> > > >NOTHING about it, including any general repositioning.

> > >

> > > Yeah, pretty amazing.

> > >

> > > > I don't know

> > > >if you saw the measurements charts, but some of these

> babies >had

> > > >really high asymmetry or cephalic ratio measurements

> during >the

> > > >study.

> > >

> > > Unfortunately, I'm ignorant about how these numbers

> translate into

> > what a kid would like visually.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > >>Although helmet treatment is available in New Zealand, no

> case

> > was

> > > considered severe enough to be referred for such treatment

> by their

> > > health professional.<<

> > >

> > > >When you think about the word " concerned, " what exactly

> does >that

> > > >mean? If you are a parent, and you do not know of any

> >treatment

> > at

> > > >all, whether it be repo or a band, for your babies'

> >misshapen

> > head,

> > > >than what exactly are you going to insist be done about it?

> >Are

> > you

> > > >going to stay officially, " concerned? "

> > >

> > > I don't know. If the norm there is not to band, that may

> > influence it. Of course the other possibility is that some

> > kids " looked bad " to their parents and their heads either

> improved,

> > got covered with hair, or their parents " got used to it. " I

really

> > wish the article broke down cases into mild, moderate, and

> severe,

> > and then talked about what happened with each group at the 2

> year

> > mark. Is it possible that some of the " mild " kids were still

> " mild "

> > at 2 years while some of the " severe " kids no longer had the

> > condition? Or, did the final 3% consist entirely of kids who

> were

> > the most severe to begin with? I'd really like to know that

info,

> > but I couldn't find it.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > >More studies are

> > > >due out soon on this subject, including the study out of

> > >Childrens

> > > >in Atlanta (CHOA) which is a huge one that compares

> natural

> > >rounding

> > > >to repositioning to banding.

> > >

> > > Is there a way to get any preliminary data from them on thier

> > findings so far?

> > >

> > > Would you please post if you >come

> > > >across anything else? It's very helpful to have group

> >members in

> > > >the medical community that can get access to these

> documents!

> > >

> > >

> > > Sure. If anyone is interested in a specific article that they

> > come across, I'd be happy to look it up. I have access to the

> full

> > text for most of these articles on our network, and for the ones

> > that I don't, our library has most of the major medical journals

> in

> > print.