Re: Brachy but otherwise symmetric

[Guest guest]

My son has severe plagio and brachy and he's had it for about 3 months. The

entire right side from top to bottom is almost hollowed out but the left side is

untouched. His main problem was his flat right side and his left was pretty

normal. But he had problems there too. But now, his brachy went from 96% to

86% and it made his whole head look so much better and rounder. We need to get

a second band but I don't think it's necessary to hollow out the band or good,

b/c there would be no pressure on one side to allow the head to grow elsewhere.

I'll ask when I go to CT next week and let you know what they say over there. I

would say though not to worry about hollowing it all out, b/c it's def. still

working and probably better not doing that, since the Band is useless if it

doesn't stay on their head.

Good luck!

>

> I posted an email about our NOPCO visit mostly with progress but I don't know

that I even asked the right questions and didn't get answers so I'll try again.

My son has the NOPCO Boston band. Let's just say that that plagio has resolved

and I just want to treat the brachy. His cephalic index is 92%.

>

> Is there anyone out there (and I don't know how he DOC and Star bands look

internally) who has a horizontal part of the foam hollowed out to allow just the

bottom half of the head to pop out?

>

> Is there anyone out there who has the entire back of the helmet hollowed out

to allow the entire back of the head to pop out?

>

> I was told they can't do that because then the whole helmet can lift off and

be loose or fall of the head.

>

> If this is true how do you treat brachy? Any ideas?

>

> Ana-

> mommy to Octavian 7.5 months,

> Boston Band since 2/22/09

>

[Guest guest]

My daughter had a starband for brachy. On the inside her band did not look like

yours. It was a smooth curved, head-shaped foam inside with no bumps or ridges.

It had a lot of space in the back for her growth, and held the wide points on

her head (sides). Her band curved down and held fairly close near the very

bottom of her head. Sort of just above the neck slightly behind the ears. Her

band did not slip and slide all over her head. It moved a little when adjusted,

and then held more tightly as she grew. She also had some forehead bossing. When

she needed and adjustment her forehead would generally be slightly red, and they

would remove foam there and in the back. Actually they never needed to adjust

much in the back because from the beginning there was lots of room there. When

she " outgrew " the band, it was because there was no foam in the front for

further adjustment. Hope that makes sense. We are living in india now and the

band is in storage, so I can't send you any pictures of what I'm trying to

describe.

-christine

sydney, 3 yrs, starband grad

>

> I posted an email about our NOPCO visit mostly with progress but I don't know

that I even asked the right questions and didn't get answers so I'll try again.

My son has the NOPCO Boston band. Let's just say that that plagio has resolved

and I just want to treat the brachy. His cephalic index is 92%.

>

> Is there anyone out there (and I don't know how he DOC and Star bands look

internally) who has a horizontal part of the foam hollowed out to allow just the

bottom half of the head to pop out?

>

> Is there anyone out there who has the entire back of the helmet hollowed out

to allow the entire back of the head to pop out?

>

> I was told they can't do that because then the whole helmet can lift off and

be loose or fall of the head.

>

> If this is true how do you treat brachy? Any ideas?

>

> Ana-

> mommy to Octavian 7.5 months,

> Boston Band since 2/22/09

>

[Guest guest]

DOCBands and STARBands (and some others) are different from Boston bands in that

the foam liner is one piece and to adjust it, the ortho/therapist actually

shaves out small portions of the foam at each adjustment. From what I know about

Boston bands, they are made with layered foam that is peeled out where needed,

correct? If a baby has brachy and is wearing a DOC or STARband, I believe the

foam is shaved out evenly across the back to promote even growth of the head.

However, I don't believe it's necessarily shaved out all the way from the top to

the nape of the neck. It still has to hold the head, particularly at the crown

(top rear) where there is typically too much height/slope to the head.

Also, from what I know about heads, the growth is pretty global starting from

about the midpoint (occiput) and spreading outward (up and down). So I'm not

sure why your ortho would just be concentrating on the bottom. I guess the

bottom is harder to pop out because it's part of the skull base, which is made

up of smaller bones, but I would think (not being an expert) that if the plagio

is corrected and the back of the head is currently symmetrical but still flat,

the whole back should be hollowed out (maybe not completely, but definitely

evenly), otherwise, I would think the head would start growing assymetrically

again.

Leila-if you're reading this, could you also respond? Cause I know you have a

band treating just the brachy right now. Thanks!

Jake-2.5 (DOCBand Grad 9/08)

Jordan-5

>

> I posted an email about our NOPCO visit mostly with progress but I don't know

that I even asked the right questions and didn't get answers so I'll try again.

My son has the NOPCO Boston band. Let's just say that that plagio has resolved

and I just want to treat the brachy. His cephalic index is 92%.

>

> Is there anyone out there (and I don't know how he DOC and Star bands look

internally) who has a horizontal part of the foam hollowed out to allow just the

bottom half of the head to pop out?

>

> Is there anyone out there who has the entire back of the helmet hollowed out

to allow the entire back of the head to pop out?

>

> I was told they can't do that because then the whole helmet can lift off and

be loose or fall of the head.

>

> If this is true how do you treat brachy? Any ideas?

>

> Ana-

> mommy to Octavian 7.5 months,

> Boston Band since 2/22/09

>