RE: Re: flathead and clubfoot???

[Guest guest]

Just keep encouraging and helping her learn to roll, she'll get the hang of it

soon. You might want to prop her up a little bit with rolled blankets, etc.,

when she lays down to encourage her head to lay on other areas, not just the

area that is flattening. Avoid a lot of time in any baby seats, car seat

carriers, swings, etc., too.

s.

" flathead " and clubfoot???

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi there-

> I'm brand new to this group and I must say that it is an awesome

> source for us parents with children who have clubfeet...what a

> blessing to discover this.

>

> Anyways, my daughter Ella is 5 1/2 months old and was born with

> bilateral clubfeet. We did the casts for 7 weeks and she has

been

> in the DBB for 3 months. Our general pediatrician noticed that

the

> back of her head is becoming flattened especially on her right

> side. The technical name for this is " Plagiocephaly " and the

> doctor wants us to consider putting her in a helmet or headband

to

> re-shape her head round.

>

> Because of the DBB and Casts, Ella has only slept on her back

since

> day 1 and always favors her right side. During the day I try my

> hardest to keep her off her back to prevent pressure on the back

of

> her head.

>

> I certainly don't want Ella to have to wear one of those helmets

> 23/7...I feel like she's already been through so much.

>

> Has anyone ever heard of this related to CF or have any

> recommendations. I figure it might be sort of common amongst

kids

> with CF since they can't sleep on their tummies (at least it

doesn't

> seem like they can sleep on their tummies??_

>

> Thanks so much,

>

>

>

> Ella 10/9/04 bilateral CF DBB 237

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>

>

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>

>

>

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>

>

[Guest guest]

,

This flathead thing is actually a common thing amongst all babies now

because of the Back to Sleep campaign which says all infants should sleep on

their backs to reduce the risks of sids. Actually, numerous people on this

list have admitted to letting their children sleep on their stomachs while

wearing the bar because they were more comfortable. I think the risk of sids

decreases dramatically after the first few months and of course once they

can roll over themselves, it's not a problem...

My neighbor recently sent a link to a really good article in our local

paper, I think, Washington Post, about a family whose child needed the

helmet. Also, your general pediatrician shouldn't be the one recommending a

helmet. That's a specialist's determination I would think.

We had the opposite happen. Our specialist was worried about our daughter's

" breasts " and insisted that we make our general pediatrician do a blood

test. The pediatrician did do the blood test but reassured us that it wasn't

unusual for breastfed girls to have " breasts " that would flatten once I

stopped breast feeding. That's exactly what happened...

You have the right idea. When your daughter is awake, it's a good idea to

try and keep her off her head as much as possible. Lots of tummy time is

great for babies anyway...

Best, Joanne W.

Message: 20

Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 18:07:27 -0000

Subject: Re: " flathead " and clubfoot???

My son was born 8/1/04 with BCF and when he was about 3 months

old, I began noticing that his right forehead was protruding more

than the left and I was worried (thought maybe he was growing a tumor

or something - you know how the mind works). Anyway at his 4 month

checkup, I asked his pediatrician about it and he could tell by

looking at the back of his head that it was the way he lays and

sleeps. He said not to worry and that when he gets more mobile his

head would all even out. He's now almost 8 months and is very mobile

not only when awake but usually rolls over in his sleep and sleeps on

his stomach...and now his head is almost totally evened out. A few

months ago, his orthopedic nurse told us there may be something wrong

because his head wasn't perfectly even and I told her that I wasn't

worried because of what the pediatrician had said. Of course, all

babies are different and this may not be your daughter's situation,

but I'm just saying that a helmet may not be what she needs since

Jake's head reshaped itself. I would get another opinion just to be

safe. You don't want to put her thru any more than she's already

going thru with CF, but if she really needs it, you don't want to

have her not wear it.....Best of luck,

>

>

>Hi there-

>I'm brand new to this group and I must say that it is an awesome source for

>us parents with children who have clubfeet...what a blessing to discover

>this.

>

>Anyways, my daughter Ella is 5 1/2 months old and was born with bilateral

>clubfeet. We did the casts for 7 weeks and she has been in the DBB for 3

>months. Our general pediatrician noticed that the back of her head is

>becoming flattened especially on her right side. The technical name for

>this is " Plagiocephaly " and the doctor wants us to consider putting her in

>a helmet or headband to re-shape her head round.

>

>Because of the DBB and Casts, Ella has only slept on her back since day 1

>and always favors her right side. During the day I try my hardest to keep

>her off her back to prevent pressure on the back of her head.

>

>I certainly don't want Ella to have to wear one of those helmets 23/7...I

>feel like she's already been through so much.

>

>Has anyone ever heard of this related to CF or have any recommendations. I

>figure it might be sort of common amongst kids with CF since they can't

>sleep on their tummies (at least it

doesn't

>seem like they can sleep on their tummies??_

>

>Thanks so much,

>

>

>

>Ella 10/9/04 bilateral CF DBB 237