Re: new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up

[Guest guest]

I wonder if the helmet is rubbing her head in an uncomfortable way. Does she have redness when you take it off?From: o_goste <patrascu@...>Subject: new helmet, need advice... to continue or give upPlagiocephaly Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 4:48 PM

Hi all,

My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though, and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based her head size).

On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a bigger head).

So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she sleeps.

The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than 1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to pull and lift the helmet.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hi,My son got his helmet when he was 9 months old and had a hard time adapting to the band as well. He was also teething at the time so it made things worse. It took him more than a week to adapt to the helmet.. He was fine during the day but would wake up every 2 hours at night crying and pulling on the helmet. My husband and I were very close to stop using the helmet but are very glad we didn't..In just 6 weeks he went from 14 mm asymmetry to 7 mm.. He's very comfortable with the helmet now and doesn't even notice it. I would advice you to keep it on for a little more longer and see how it goes... I also started using a soft pillow and it really helped. Good luck and keep us posted....MarinaSent via BlackBerry from T-MobileFrom: "o_goste" Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:48:12 -0000<Plagiocephaly >Subject: new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up Hi all, My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though, and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it. On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based her head size). On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a bigger head). So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she sleeps. The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than 1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to pull and lift the helmet. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks,

[Guest guest]

This is prime time to stick with it.  She's outgrowing the stage where repo is most effective and banding is a better option for results.  The band you have is also " active " so you should see results pretty fast.  She could easily be done forever in ~6 weeks if you get good growth.  If you don't there's still time to band down the line, but growth slows significantly after 9 months meaning wearing helmets longer and as you approach 2 years old your window of opportunity is closing.

 

As for not liking the helmet, it's also normal.  Most kids take to them without issue.  My daughter most certainly didn't.  We were given a schedule for a one week break in and ended up lengthening it to two weeks, which worked better.  They can overheat the first few weeks they are in it.  Ways to help are to shed a layer of clothing.  When Elly is in her helmet and just hanging out at home she's comfortable in bare feet or a lighter sleeper.  No heavy sweaters or anything.  Also keep an eye out for bad pressure spots.  They will most definitely add to her discomfort.  It's not uncommon to need an adjustment or two right after you get a new band either.  I would call the ortho with any concerns you have about your daughter not liking the helmet.  They are probably your best resource for your child's specific situation.  

 

Elaine (twin A) plagio & tort, 10mos, 2nd helmet since 1/5/09

On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 4:48 PM, o_goste <patrascu@...> wrote:

Hi all,My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though, and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based her head size).On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a bigger head).So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she sleeps.

The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than 1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to pull and lift the helmet.

Any advice is appreciated.Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My son got his Doc Band at 4.5 months and hated it, absolutely horrified, and he

was also an easy going, happy baby. Unlike a lot of other babies, he did not

adjust well for a long time. I had read how a lot of parents here had babies

that had no problems with the Doc Band or helmet and it made me feel like,

what's wrong with my baby or me? But every baby is different. My baby is very

aware of his surroundings and your baby is too, it sounds. They know something

is different and they are trying to understand why they have to wear this thing

on their head and why they look different. No one likes changes, esp. one that

drastic. It's also probably stuffy and little claustrophobic. The first two

weeks were terrible, esp. b/c he kept sweating b/c he was afraid and rubbing his

head back and forth on the floor to get it off, he developed open scabs on the

side of his head and yellow pus started coming out. We were so scared but we

let it heal for about 5 days and got it readjusted. He accepted it, tolerated

it after a month. He became his happy self after about 2.5 weeks and people,

esp. babies are very resilient.

I would encourage you to stay with the program. It makes a world of difference

for them when they grow up. Your baby might have a normal head but she might

not. Why take that chance, esp. when you took the time to put one on her head

already? I read this heart-breaking post, a female adult in her 20s told about

how she still has plagio and it's affected her self-esteem and wants to get it

corrected--but sadly, I am doubtful you can change the shape of your skull as an

adult, b/c even now, I am told that it's too late after about they turn 2 years

of age.

My son is getting his second band but he went from 24 mm to 15 mm in a little

less than 3 months. He's not happy about it at 7.5 months but it's medically

necessary. Also, he had asymmetry in his ears and it was also developing in his

jaws and a bulging right eye. If untreated, I was told, he would have problems

wearing hats, glasses of any kind, and trouble eating b/c he'd develop an

underbite or overbite. I figured putting my child through all that is so much

worse later (esp. when he is very aware) than correcting it now with a Doc Band

when he's just a baby.

You are doing a great job, esp. when your spouse does not agree with you, which

probably makes it tougher. You need the support and this board will provide it.

This is a hard road but you will be so happy with the results. Most likely,

your baby will only need one Band since she is only 12 mm, so she's moderate.

Good luck and keep up the good work. Your baby will thank you when she grows up

and sees the before and after pictures.

L.

>

> Hi,

>

> My son got his helmet when he was 9 months old and had a hard time adapting to

the band as well. He was also teething at the time so it made things worse. It

took him more than a week to adapt to the helmet.. He was fine during the day

but would wake up every 2 hours at night crying and pulling on the helmet. My

husband and I were very close to stop using the helmet but are very glad we

didn't..

>

> In just 6 weeks he went from 14 mm asymmetry to 7 mm.. He's very comfortable

with the helmet now and doesn't even notice it. I would advice you to keep it

on for a little more longer and see how it goes... I also started using a soft

pillow and it really helped. Good luck and keep us posted....

>

> Marina

> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

>

> new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to

correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though,

and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get

some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to

decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

>

> On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based

her head size).

> On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a

bigger head).

>

> So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high

growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest

of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she

sleeps.

>

> The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not

adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since

last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than

1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy

going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to

pull and lift the helmet.

>

> Any advice is appreciated.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry, I forgot to add what helped our baby:

We started sleeping with our baby b/c he couldn't sleep at nights. He never had

a problem sleeping in the crib before. Not the ideal situation, but it helped

him sleep and after about 2 months, he went back into the crib in increments.

Also, keep him very cool-- I felt I had to keep him in the refrigerator b/c

nothing was cooling him. He loved it when I fanned him and his scalp became a

little itchy.

We started using California baby shampoo with tea tree oil (any baby shampoo

with tea tree oil is fine) helps with the itch and he relaxed a little. Someone

suggested putting a little baby oil in the bath water b/c their skin is probably

also dry and itchy, but I have not needed to try that. I also scratch his head

lightly when the band is off and on the top of his head when it's on, and I can

see that he's relieved. Dress your baby very lightly, no socks (unless it's

freezing--I live in Socal, so it's usually very warm) and wipe off her head

every hour if she sweats a lot. Also, try not to be anxious b/c our babies are

very smart and they can feed off of your fears. Just act normally and

eventually she'll think it's okay. I also go to the mirror and show him with

the band on and off, so he knows he's still the same person, and it's not a

monster he's looking at in the mirror. He was so scared at first that he

wouldn't look at a mirror without fear for a few days and then he looked down

for about a week. We were close to stopping treatment too but sometimes as

adults we have to do the hard thing that's good for our kids. I am so glad we

kept going.

>

> Hi,

>

> My son got his helmet when he was 9 months old and had a hard time adapting to

the band as well. He was also teething at the time so it made things worse. It

took him more than a week to adapt to the helmet.. He was fine during the day

but would wake up every 2 hours at night crying and pulling on the helmet. My

husband and I were very close to stop using the helmet but are very glad we

didn't..

>

> In just 6 weeks he went from 14 mm asymmetry to 7 mm.. He's very comfortable

with the helmet now and doesn't even notice it. I would advice you to keep it

on for a little more longer and see how it goes... I also started using a soft

pillow and it really helped. Good luck and keep us posted....

>

> Marina

> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

>

> new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to

correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though,

and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get

some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to

decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

>

> On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based

her head size).

> On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a

bigger head).

>

> So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high

growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest

of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she

sleeps.

>

> The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not

adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since

last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than

1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy

going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to

pull and lift the helmet.

>

> Any advice is appreciated.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

My son has been wearing his Star Band for a little over a month now.  He started at 8 months at 15 mm and has already improved to 12 mm.  Although he was great about accepting his helmet, which is different from the situations you are describing, we had to deal with his skin not so readily accepting the helmet.  He is very fair and had the normal " reddening " at first in his high points.  But after the first two weeks of wear, and 2 mm of good growth, our orthotist made her first adjustment and it triggered almost 2 weeks of rashing that turned into a form of dermatitis.  His rashing was so bad on his good side, his cheek and temple, he almost looked burned.  After calling his peds and them prescribing a hydrocortisone cream -- the rash cleared in about 2 days.  In addition, during this time, we had to make 3 visits to the orthotist in a week and a half!  It was very aggravating to say the least.  But our last visit included another adjustment and that seemed to do the trick.

 

My point is that I strongly recommend you stick w/the therapy.  I was very frustrated and ready to give up last week.  He had done so well at first I couldn't understand why he was suddenly having these problems.  And given his age I kept feeling like we were losing valuable time.  But over this past month I can see a big improvement and I know we're doing the right thing.  The rash was unexpected and set us back those couple days, but now he's better and we can move forward.  Plus, reading all these great success stories is so helpful, I'm very thankful I joined this site.

 

I don't think anything about this is easy, and I'm sure we have more bumps in the road to come, but I do believe it is worth it.  My son can't speak for himself right now, but I don't want him one day to ask us why we didn't help when we could have.  Plus, his Daddy went bald in his late 20's, so if our son someday follows suit I want him to have the cutest, roundest bald head he can!

 

Hang in there! 

 

   

On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 10:29 AM, sjlprl <sjlprl@...> wrote:

Hi,My son got his Doc Band at 4.5 months and hated it, absolutely horrified, and he was also an easy going, happy baby. Unlike a lot of other babies, he did not adjust well for a long time. I had read how a lot of parents here had babies that had no problems with the Doc Band or helmet and it made me feel like, what's wrong with my baby or me? But every baby is different. My baby is very aware of his surroundings and your baby is too, it sounds. They know something is different and they are trying to understand why they have to wear this thing on their head and why they look different. No one likes changes, esp. one that drastic. It's also probably stuffy and little claustrophobic. The first two weeks were terrible, esp. b/c he kept sweating b/c he was afraid and rubbing his head back and forth on the floor to get it off, he developed open scabs on the side of his head and yellow pus started coming out. We were so scared but we let it heal for about 5 days and got it readjusted. He accepted it, tolerated it after a month. He became his happy self after about 2.5 weeks and people, esp. babies are very resilient.

I would encourage you to stay with the program. It makes a world of difference for them when they grow up. Your baby might have a normal head but she might not. Why take that chance, esp. when you took the time to put one on her head already? I read this heart-breaking post, a female adult in her 20s told about how she still has plagio and it's affected her self-esteem and wants to get it corrected--but sadly, I am doubtful you can change the shape of your skull as an adult, b/c even now, I am told that it's too late after about they turn 2 years of age.

My son is getting his second band but he went from 24 mm to 15 mm in a little less than 3 months. He's not happy about it at 7.5 months but it's medically necessary. Also, he had asymmetry in his ears and it was also developing in his jaws and a bulging right eye. If untreated, I was told, he would have problems wearing hats, glasses of any kind, and trouble eating b/c he'd develop an underbite or overbite. I figured putting my child through all that is so much worse later (esp. when he is very aware) than correcting it now with a Doc Band when he's just a baby.

You are doing a great job, esp. when your spouse does not agree with you, which probably makes it tougher. You need the support and this board will provide it. This is a hard road but you will be so happy with the results. Most likely, your baby will only need one Band since she is only 12 mm, so she's moderate.

Good luck and keep up the good work. Your baby will thank you when she grows up and sees the before and after pictures. L.

>> Hi,> > My son got his helmet when he was 9 months old and had a hard time adapting to the band as well. He was also teething at the time so it made things worse. It took him more than a week to adapt to the helmet.. He was fine during the day but would wake up every 2 hours at night crying and pulling on the helmet. My husband and I were very close to stop using the helmet but are very glad we didn't..

> > In just 6 weeks he went from 14 mm asymmetry to 7 mm.. He's very comfortable with the helmet now and doesn't even notice it. I would advice you to keep it on for a little more longer and see how it goes... I also started using a soft pillow and it really helped. Good luck and keep us posted....

> > Marina> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile>

> new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up>

> > Hi all,> > My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though, and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

> > On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based her head size).> On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a bigger head).>

> So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she sleeps.

> > The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than 1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to pull and lift the helmet.

> > Any advice is appreciated.> > Thanks,> >

[Guest guest]

We slept with out baby too. It worked for us. She was never a great sleeper and

had transitioned to her crib (from our bed) shortly before getting her band.

Then she transitioned back :-) It is not for everyone, but it may help.

-christine

sydney, 3 yrs, starband grad

> >

> > Hi,

> >

> > My son got his helmet when he was 9 months old and had a hard time adapting

to the band as well. He was also teething at the time so it made things worse.

It took him more than a week to adapt to the helmet.. He was fine during the day

but would wake up every 2 hours at night crying and pulling on the helmet. My

husband and I were very close to stop using the helmet but are very glad we

didn't..

> >

> > In just 6 weeks he went from 14 mm asymmetry to 7 mm.. He's very comfortable

with the helmet now and doesn't even notice it. I would advice you to keep it

on for a little more longer and see how it goes... I also started using a soft

pillow and it really helped. Good luck and keep us posted....

> >

> > Marina

> > Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

> >

> > new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up

> >

> >

> > Hi all,

> >

> > My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to

correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though,

and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get

some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to

decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

> >

> > On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7%

based her head size).

> > On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with

a bigger head).

> >

> > So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of

high growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the

rest of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when

she sleeps.

> >

> > The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it,

not adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it

since last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more

than 1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an

easy going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying

to pull and lift the helmet.

> >

> > Any advice is appreciated.

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I'm sure glad to read that I'm not the only one doing this. Of course, 's original reasons for not sleeping well were not the helmet, but it's good to know anyway. We are putting off getting her back in the crib full time until after she gets out of the helmet. I'm not sure whether she sleeps any worse in it, but that's what we've decided anyway.

We did recently make progress in that she now goes to sleep in her crib and doesn't need to be nursed to fall asleep. I do stay in the room with her, but it's still big progress. She comes to bed with me with her first awakening. new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up> > > > > > Hi all,> > > > My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though, and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.> > > > On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based her head size).> > On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a bigger head).> > > > So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she sleeps.> > > > The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than 1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to pull and lift the helmet.> > > > Any advice is appreciated.> > > > Thanks,> > > >>

[Guest guest]

She doesn't really have much redness, just tons of sweating. She did have some

redness in front of her ears, but in my first visit to cranial tech after

getting the helmet, they made a few adjustments and it seems better.

>

> From: o_goste <patrascu@...>

> Subject: new helmet, need advice... to continue or give up

> Plagiocephaly

> Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 4:48 PM

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi all,

>

>

>

> My daughter is 6 months old and just got a doc band from Cranial Tech to

correct her plagiocephaly. I still have very mixed feelings about it though,

and her mother has been totally against it from the start, so I wanted to get

some feedback and compare our daughter's situation with others. I'm trying to

decide whether to keep going with the treatment or abandoning it.

>

>

>

> On 12/16/08 (3 months old), she had 16mm cranial vault asymmetry (11.7% based

her head size).

>

> On 3/3/09 (almost 6 months), she had 12mm cranial vault asymmetry (8.5% with a

bigger head).

>

>

>

> So there was improvement without any helmet, but since that was a time of high

growth I'm not sure if we'll see the same amount of improvement through the rest

of her infancy. She sits up completely now and is only on her back when she

sleeps.

>

>

>

> The reason I'm considering abandoning it is that she is not happy with it, not

adapting well, and she still can't sleep at night with it. We've had it since

last Wednesday, and while she will nap with it, she can't normally go more than

1 hour with it, I think because she gets too hot. She is normally such an easy

going and happy baby, and it's heartbreaking to see her unhappy and trying to

pull and lift the helmet.

>

>

>

> Any advice is appreciated.

>

>

>

> Thanks,

>

>

>