Re: Help! Should we get a helmet for our daughter??

[Guest guest]

I think you have to imagine how you and/or your daughter would feel if you do

not do something and it does not correct itself over time. If you will feel

guilty if things don't correct themselves or you think it will at the very least

affect her self esteem, then I say go for it.

As for the discomfort, I can't speak to that yet, since we just got our son

fitted for his helmet, but it has not arrived yet, however, from what I hear

there is only minor discomfort and it is mostly at the beginning while the child

gets used to the helmet and adjusts to their new " core temperature " since they

may get hot at times.

Of course, this is just my 2 cents. I personally don't want to have any regrets

looking back. Our son has about 14 mm of symmetry which isn't horrible, but a

moderate case of plagiocephaly, significant enough that we are worried about

both cosmetic and functional problems. So, it was a pretty easy decision for

us.

best of luck!

>

> Our daughter is 7 months old, and has positional brachycephaly. Her cephalic

index (ratio of width/length of head) is 92%. The back of her is wide, while the

front of her head is tapered. If you looked @ her from the side there's a slope

from front to back. If you put a marble on the top of her head, it would roll to

the front.

>

> We took her to a specialist and asked if she should wear a corrective helmet.

He said it was a very close call. 92% was significant, but he thought she might

be ok not wearing a helmet and letting better positioning work it out. She's now

sleeping on her stomach. She can crawl and can stand with some assistance.

>

> Our concern is that we only have one shot at this as her sutures are obviously

fusing with time. We don't want to get a helmet if it causes her discomfort over

the next 4 months.

>

> But obviously we want what's best for her. And if it affects her appearance

later in life, we definitely want to get her treated now.

>

> But how do you know when to get a corrective helmet or not? I almost wish our

doctor had said that our kid definitely needs the helmet so that our decision

would be easier.

>

> Are there websites detailing children will look later in life based on

brachycephaly now?

>

> Any help would be very welcome. thanks in advance.

>

[Guest guest]

,

From what I've heard, 90% is usually the cutoff, so your daughter

is close, but most specialists would want to see her in a helmet.

Personally, I would do it. If you get her a helmet, she'll

probably be down below 90 in a few short months and her head will

look much more normal. You will be able to say you did what you

could to correct it and move on. If you don't go ahead with the

helmet, her C.I. probably will slowly go down over the next few

years, but you'll spend that whole time studying her head,

wondering if it's improving, and wondering if you should have

done things differently. Not to mention checking that she's

not on her back and worrying about her sleeping on her tummy

when you're not there.

That's just my opinion. Most of the people on this board (but

not all) have gotten helmets for their kids, and it seems that

most do not regret it. This is a great place to get advice

on what company to use and even which orthotists are experienced.

Those factors have a big effect on the success of banding.

There is another group called something like " Older Plagio

babies " ---I'm sure someone here can give you the right name---

for parents of kids who were not successfully treated.

Good luck!

>

> Our daughter is 7 months old, and has positional brachycephaly. Her cephalic

index (ratio of width/length of head) is 92%. The back of her is wide, while the

front of her head is tapered. If you looked @ her from the side there's a slope

from front to back. If you put a marble on the top of her head, it would roll to

the front.

>

> We took her to a specialist and asked if she should wear a corrective helmet.

He said it was a very close call. 92% was significant, but he thought she might

be ok not wearing a helmet and letting better positioning work it out. She's now

sleeping on her stomach. She can crawl and can stand with some assistance.

>

> Our concern is that we only have one shot at this as her sutures are obviously

fusing with time. We don't want to get a helmet if it causes her discomfort over

the next 4 months.

>

> But obviously we want what's best for her. And if it affects her appearance

later in life, we definitely want to get her treated now.

>

> But how do you know when to get a corrective helmet or not? I almost wish our

doctor had said that our kid definitely needs the helmet so that our decision

would be easier.

>

> Are there websites detailing children will look later in life based on

brachycephaly now?

>

> Any help would be very welcome. thanks in advance.

>

[Guest guest]

I would get the helmet if I were you. Brachycephaly is harder to correct than

plagio so the helmet is your best bet. Just keeping her off the flat spot will

not make it go away. Her head will grow evenly all around. It can't just

compensate for the areas that need to fill in. So your daughter will continue to

have the sloped head and flatness in the back if she doesn't get a helmet,

although it may look better as she grows and her head gets bigger. Most babies

are fine with the helmets. There may be some rough days in the beginning, but in

every case I have heard about, the babies always adjust to it and end up being

totally fine with it.

>

> Our daughter is 7 months old, and has positional brachycephaly. Her cephalic

index (ratio of width/length of head) is 92%. The back of her is wide, while the

front of her head is tapered. If you looked @ her from the side there's a slope

from front to back. If you put a marble on the top of her head, it would roll to

the front.

>

> We took her to a specialist and asked if she should wear a corrective helmet.

He said it was a very close call. 92% was significant, but he thought she might

be ok not wearing a helmet and letting better positioning work it out. She's now

sleeping on her stomach. She can crawl and can stand with some assistance.

>

> Our concern is that we only have one shot at this as her sutures are obviously

fusing with time. We don't want to get a helmet if it causes her discomfort over

the next 4 months.

>

> But obviously we want what's best for her. And if it affects her appearance

later in life, we definitely want to get her treated now.

>

> But how do you know when to get a corrective helmet or not? I almost wish our

doctor had said that our kid definitely needs the helmet so that our decision

would be easier.

>

> Are there websites detailing children will look later in life based on

brachycephaly now?

>

> Any help would be very welcome. thanks in advance.

>

[Guest guest]

My only advice is that most babies really aren't bothered by the helmet. I thought that my daughter would have a lot of difficulty adjusting to it, especially because she had hers fitted at a later age (9 months).. but she has honestly never known it was there. She had ZERO issues (other than smelly ones) and we are on week 8 now. No issues sleeping, no issues in the car seat, no pulling at it, nothing. The DOC band only weighs a few ounces, so it's a lot less cumbersome than it may seem.

KimOn Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 8:26 AM, melissa114@... <melissa114@...> wrote:

I would get the helmet if I were you. Brachycephaly is harder to correct than plagio so the helmet is your best bet. Just keeping her off the flat spot will not make it go away. Her head will grow evenly all around. It can't just compensate for the areas that need to fill in. So your daughter will continue to have the sloped head and flatness in the back if she doesn't get a helmet, although it may look better as she grows and her head gets bigger. Most babies are fine with the helmets. There may be some rough days in the beginning, but in every case I have heard about, the babies always adjust to it and end up being totally fine with it.

>

> Our daughter is 7 months old, and has positional brachycephaly. Her cephalic index (ratio of width/length of head) is 92%. The back of her is wide, while the front of her head is tapered. If you looked @ her from the side there's a slope from front to back. If you put a marble on the top of her head, it would roll to the front.

>

> We took her to a specialist and asked if she should wear a corrective helmet. He said it was a very close call. 92% was significant, but he thought she might be ok not wearing a helmet and letting better positioning work it out. She's now sleeping on her stomach. She can crawl and can stand with some assistance.

>

> Our concern is that we only have one shot at this as her sutures are obviously fusing with time. We don't want to get a helmet if it causes her discomfort over the next 4 months.

>

> But obviously we want what's best for her. And if it affects her appearance later in life, we definitely want to get her treated now.

>

> But how do you know when to get a corrective helmet or not? I almost wish our doctor had said that our kid definitely needs the helmet so that our decision would be easier.

>

> Are there websites detailing children will look later in life based on brachycephaly now?

>

> Any help would be very welcome. thanks in advance.

>

[Guest guest]

My daughter wore a starband for bracy. she was worse than your daughter (96%)

but I would still recommend doing it. Our specialist recommends banding at 90%

or more. Also my daughter got down to around 85% and sometimes I wish she had

even more correction. Her head is still wider than normal and has some funny

angles. You can see her before and after under Our Plagio Babies S/Sydney M in

the photos area.

I don't know about photos later in life. I have heard that brachy is associated

with an underbite due to the head shape. The band is really pretty easy after

the first week or two. Once you are used to it, it is just part of the routine.

-christine

sydney, 3.5 yrs, starband grad

>

> Our daughter is 7 months old, and has positional brachycephaly. Her cephalic

index (ratio of width/length of head) is 92%. The back of her is wide, while the

front of her head is tapered. If you looked @ her from the side there's a slope

from front to back. If you put a marble on the top of her head, it would roll to

the front.

>

> We took her to a specialist and asked if she should wear a corrective helmet.

He said it was a very close call. 92% was significant, but he thought she might

be ok not wearing a helmet and letting better positioning work it out. She's now

sleeping on her stomach. She can crawl and can stand with some assistance.

>

> Our concern is that we only have one shot at this as her sutures are obviously

fusing with time. We don't want to get a helmet if it causes her discomfort over

the next 4 months.

>

> But obviously we want what's best for her. And if it affects her appearance

later in life, we definitely want to get her treated now.

>

> But how do you know when to get a corrective helmet or not? I almost wish our

doctor had said that our kid definitely needs the helmet so that our decision

would be easier.

>

> Are there websites detailing children will look later in life based on

brachycephaly now?

>

> Any help would be very welcome. thanks in advance.

>