Re: Just figured out 4 month old has Plagio and mild torticollis - pleas

[Guest guest]

I also have a 4-month old (son) with torticollis and plagicephaly (with preference to look right). I noticed the flattening at 5 weeks, but didn't tell our pediatrician until our 2 month check-up. He referred us to a physical therapist for positioning therapy. He was hopeful that since we caught it early that all he would need is therapy. That helped round out the spot a bit, making it slightly less noticeable, but he still has a 15mm difference between sides (the diagonal measurements.) I definitely recommend trying physical therapy first. I learned so much from the session re: my child's growth and development, and the stretches and exercises really helped the torticollis and breaking him from favoring looking right. Some babies will benefit from being off their heads completely (as much

as possible), but our little boy seems to need some extra pressure on

with prominent areas (i.e., we need to make a decision about the helmet.)Unfortunately, we have United HealthCare which excludes "cosmetic and reconstructive" surgery from coverage. Our pediatrician, physical therapist, and orthotist all say that which lots of documentation we can fight it, but I'm not holding out hope. Our son was born a month early, making his adjusted age 3-months, so we have a little bit of time to decide. Our orthotist recommended not starting the helmet too early, lest once correction was achieved his head still be soft enough to resume flattening afterwards. But she also wants to get his helmet on him before 6 months. I think we are going to bite the bullet and get the helmet, even if we have to pay out of pocket. Besides the appearance of his head, I do worry that the assymetry will lead to problems down the road with his neck and jaw, especially if he inherits his mother's scoliosis as well.Good luck to

you. Wardrombachb@...

[Guest guest]

Thank you ! I actually took my daughter to a pediatrician in the clinic

today who agreed she needed some physical therapy. Hopefully, I'll be able to

start that soon, just waiting on the doctor's office to fax the orders now.

Even though Cranial Tech is 7 hours away, I scheduled an evaluation with them

today for next week, just to get a better idea of things. The ped. said her

plagio is on the mild side. It is so hard to know what the right thing to do is!

Thanks for your response,

Sharyn

>

> I also have a 4-month old (son) with torticollis and plagicephaly (with

preference to look right). I noticed the flattening at 5 weeks, but didn't tell

our pediatrician until our 2 month check-up. He referred us to a physical

therapist for positioning therapy. He was hopeful that since we caught it early

that all he would need is therapy. That helped round out the spot a bit, making

it slightly less noticeable, but he still has a 15mm difference between sides

(the diagonal measurements.) I definitely recommend trying physical therapy

first. I learned so much from the session re: my child's growth and development,

and the stretches and exercises really helped the torticollis and breaking him

from favoring looking right. Some babies will benefit from being off their heads

completely (as much

> as possible), but our little boy seems to need some extra pressure on

> with prominent areas (i.e., we need to make a decision about the helmet.)

>

> Unfortunately, we have United HealthCare which excludes " cosmetic and

reconstructive " surgery from coverage. Our pediatrician, physical therapist, and

orthotist all say that which lots of documentation we can fight it, but I'm not

holding out hope. Our son was born a month early, making his adjusted age

3-months, so we have a little bit of time to decide. Our orthotist recommended

not starting the helmet too early, lest once correction was achieved his head

still be soft enough to resume flattening afterwards. But she also wants to get

his helmet on him before 6 months. I think we are going to bite the bullet and

get the helmet, even if we have to pay out of pocket. Besides the appearance of

his head, I do worry that the assymetry will lead to problems down the road with

his neck and jaw, especially if he inherits his mother's scoliosis as well.

>

> Good luck to you.

>

> Ward

> rombachb@...

>