New to group - requesting advice

[Guest guest]

Hello, I'm Rob. I'm new to the group and am hoping for some help/advice from

other group members.

My wife and I have a cute-as-can-be 6 month old boy. His being in the breech

position caused him to have plagiocephaly and torticollis. Both are relatively

mild. He has a little flatness on the back right side, slight bossing on the

right forehead and his right side of his head is slightly higher than the left,

which is a little more sloped. He also has a " dent " in the back of the head

(middle, near the top).

I noticed a bit of a crooked head and head tilt when he was about 1 month old,

researched it online, showed our Pediatrician, and we started some

repositioning. He's been going to physical therapy for the torticollis for a

few months and has made great progress. He's almost done with it.

We are now at the point where I think we should decide if we are going to put

him in a cranial helmet. One problem is we were given differing opinions.

Since he is mild, our Ped does not recommend a helmet. He said if it were his

baby, he would not get a helmet for him. He stated that, over time, normal

growth would correct some of the asymmetry and he's not that bad to begin with.

Most people (friends, relatives, etc) don't notice anything abnormal about his

head shape.

However, we did take him to an orthotist a couple months ago and she recommended

a helmet and said it would help round him out and make him more symmetrical.

She said the head grows (at least mostly) in the same proportion it is in now,

so without a helmet there will likely not be much change.

We did not see a cranial-facial specialist.

Our son doesn't have to be perfect, but we want him at least to look normal to

the point where people don't notice when he's older, and so he can live a normal

life without worrying about looking different. I'm struggling with the

decision. He may be fine without a helmet, but I don't know for certain.

Please let me know any suggestions, advice, etc that you have.

Also, from what I have been reading it sounds like DOC Band centers are some of

the most competent, but we don't have one nearby in southeastern Michigan. I've

also heard of STAR Band. We went to an orthotist at a place called and

Filippis, and their helmets are made by Danmar Products in Ann Arbor. Has

anybody dealt with these places or know anything about them?

Thank you

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group!

Here's my take on your situation. It sounds like although each of the separate

problem areas you describe are mild, put together as a whole, it's more like a

moderately complex head shape (of course this is without seeing any pictures).

The ortho is right, the head will basically continue to grow in that same shape,

and although some edges/flattening may soften or become less prominent on it's

own, it could be difficult to see improvements equally in all 4 areas that you

describe. For instance, what if his flat spot rounds out but he still has the

slight forehead bossing and slope to the top of his head? My feeling is that if

you got him a helmet now, his head will be corrected in a couple of months time

and you'd be good to go with no worries later.

My son wasn't banded until he was 17 months old, and I constantly have this

thought that if a doctor had just told me to band him when he was 4 or 6 months

old, it would have been a few relatively stress-free months of our lives and his

plagio would be a distant memory. We could have gone to the local STARBand

provider, who was in network, instead of travelling almost 3 hours each way to

go to Cranial Tech because they treat more older babies. He probably would have

only worn his band for 2-3 months instead two bands for 8. And his head would

most likely be perfectly round at this point instead of still having some mild

assymetries (although considering his age, we got great results). And I know for

a fact that had we dealt with this when he was younger, I would not feel

compelled to still be a member of this message board, let alone a moderator of

it.

But as it is, we didn't band then, we were told it would round out and I

stressed and anguished over his head shape for more than a year until we did

finally band him. Then I stressed and anguished over it for 8 months while he

was banded, hoping that we would get enough correction to make a difference. And

now he's 3 and I still stress and obsess over the shape of his head, wondering

if I should try alternative treatments to get a little more correction if

possible. Three years of my life obsessing about heads, and it could have been

just 6 months.

Sorry to ramble about my issues, but that's just where I am right now. Hopefully

it can lend some perspective to whoever reads it.

As far as Danmar is concerned, people have had success with their custom made

helmets. They also make a " one size fits all " off the shelf one, that I wouldn't

recommend to anyone. I believe I've heard of a STARBand provider at a

hospital/center called Free Bed? I know it's in Michigan, but I don't know

where exactly. It might be worth looking into as another option.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Please keep us posted!

Jake-3 (DOCBand Grad 9/08)

>

> Hello, I'm Rob. I'm new to the group and am hoping for some help/advice from

other group members.

>

> My wife and I have a cute-as-can-be 6 month old boy. His being in the breech

position caused him to have plagiocephaly and torticollis. Both are relatively

mild. He has a little flatness on the back right side, slight bossing on the

right forehead and his right side of his head is slightly higher than the left,

which is a little more sloped. He also has a " dent " in the back of the head

(middle, near the top).

>

> I noticed a bit of a crooked head and head tilt when he was about 1 month old,

researched it online, showed our Pediatrician, and we started some

repositioning. He's been going to physical therapy for the torticollis for a

few months and has made great progress. He's almost done with it.

>

> We are now at the point where I think we should decide if we are going to put

him in a cranial helmet. One problem is we were given differing opinions.

Since he is mild, our Ped does not recommend a helmet. He said if it were his

baby, he would not get a helmet for him. He stated that, over time, normal

growth would correct some of the asymmetry and he's not that bad to begin with.

Most people (friends, relatives, etc) don't notice anything abnormal about his

head shape.

>

> However, we did take him to an orthotist a couple months ago and she

recommended a helmet and said it would help round him out and make him more

symmetrical. She said the head grows (at least mostly) in the same proportion

it is in now, so without a helmet there will likely not be much change.

>

> We did not see a cranial-facial specialist.

>

> Our son doesn't have to be perfect, but we want him at least to look normal to

the point where people don't notice when he's older, and so he can live a normal

life without worrying about looking different. I'm struggling with the

decision. He may be fine without a helmet, but I don't know for certain.

Please let me know any suggestions, advice, etc that you have.

>

> Also, from what I have been reading it sounds like DOC Band centers are some

of the most competent, but we don't have one nearby in southeastern Michigan.

I've also heard of STAR Band. We went to an orthotist at a place called

and Filippis, and their helmets are made by Danmar Products in Ann Arbor. Has

anybody dealt with these places or know anything about them?

>

> Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

Hi! Welcome to the group!

I can't give you any advice about which band to go with, because I don't have

experience with either of those bands. My son is wearing a Hanger helmet, and

has been doing very well with it.

So my son is now 8 1/2 months old, and got his helmet on at about 6 1/2 - 7

months old. Our story sounds very similar to yours. We were discouraged from

banding by all the professionals, and it wasn't something that most people even

noticed. Ultimately, it did help to meet with the orthotist, and based on his

numbers, it was recommended that he wear a helmet (he had 9 mm of asymmetry).

That affirmed what I was seeing myself. It also came down to the fact that there

is a relatively short window of opportunity to try to do anything to correct it.

I didn't want to regret not giving it a try for all the reasons you site below.

I also reminded myself that it is such a relatively short period of time, and

that really helped.

For what it's worth - now 7 weeks into wearing the band, my son has shown great

improvement in his head shape and I am so happy we made the decision to band.

Our next appointment is on Monday and it could be the day he graduates. The

first couple of weeks were an adjustment, but it has been smooth sailing

overall. He didn't mind wearing it from the start, but his skin was a little

angry about it at first. Obviously, I would rather he not have to wear it all,

but it truly is a short period of time and he has tolerated it very well, as

most kids do. The making of this decision was far more stressful than it has

been for him to actually wear it.

Hope this helps you a little bit! Good luck with your decision and best wishes

to you!

Ann

Mom to Luke (7 weeks in Hanger band)

>

> Hello, I'm Rob. I'm new to the group and am hoping for some help/advice from

other group members.

>

> My wife and I have a cute-as-can-be 6 month old boy. His being in the breech

position caused him to have plagiocephaly and torticollis. Both are relatively

mild. He has a little flatness on the back right side, slight bossing on the

right forehead and his right side of his head is slightly higher than the left,

which is a little more sloped. He also has a " dent " in the back of the head

(middle, near the top).

>

> I noticed a bit of a crooked head and head tilt when he was about 1 month old,

researched it online, showed our Pediatrician, and we started some

repositioning. He's been going to physical therapy for the torticollis for a

few months and has made great progress. He's almost done with it.

>

> We are now at the point where I think we should decide if we are going to put

him in a cranial helmet. One problem is we were given differing opinions.

Since he is mild, our Ped does not recommend a helmet. He said if it were his

baby, he would not get a helmet for him. He stated that, over time, normal

growth would correct some of the asymmetry and he's not that bad to begin with.

Most people (friends, relatives, etc) don't notice anything abnormal about his

head shape.

>

> However, we did take him to an orthotist a couple months ago and she

recommended a helmet and said it would help round him out and make him more

symmetrical. She said the head grows (at least mostly) in the same proportion

it is in now, so without a helmet there will likely not be much change.

>

> We did not see a cranial-facial specialist.

>

> Our son doesn't have to be perfect, but we want him at least to look normal to

the point where people don't notice when he's older, and so he can live a normal

life without worrying about looking different. I'm struggling with the

decision. He may be fine without a helmet, but I don't know for certain.

Please let me know any suggestions, advice, etc that you have.

>

> Also, from what I have been reading it sounds like DOC Band centers are some

of the most competent, but we don't have one nearby in southeastern Michigan.

I've also heard of STAR Band. We went to an orthotist at a place called

and Filippis, and their helmets are made by Danmar Products in Ann Arbor. Has

anybody dealt with these places or know anything about them?

>

> Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

> My son, 6 months today , is getting his helmet on Friday, and I went back and

forth for at least a month about weather to get it or not, at the same time

continuing agressive repositioning....I did see a bit of improvment but as was

mentioned, I do believe the head will mostly continue to grow in the same shape,

just smoothing out to some degree...so combined with all that I've read about

possible long term issues, the main thing is I did not think I could stand to

always look at his head and know that I did not try all that I could to fix it,

since it would be too late later...really it comes down to what you feel

comfortable with....good luck with your decision

~le

Mom to 6 mos.

>

> >

> > Hello, I'm Rob. I'm new to the group and am hoping for some help/advice

from other group members.

> >

> > My wife and I have a cute-as-can-be 6 month old boy. His being in the

breech position caused him to have plagiocephaly and torticollis. Both are

relatively mild. He has a little flatness on the back right side, slight

bossing on the right forehead and his right side of his head is slightly higher

than the left, which is a little more sloped. He also has a " dent " in the back

of the head (middle, near the top).

> >

> > I noticed a bit of a crooked head and head tilt when he was about 1 month

old, researched it online, showed our Pediatrician, and we started some

repositioning. He's been going to physical therapy for the torticollis for a

few months and has made great progress. He's almost done with it.

> >

> > We are now at the point where I think we should decide if we are going to

put him in a cranial helmet. One problem is we were given differing opinions.

Since he is mild, our Ped does not recommend a helmet. He said if it were his

baby, he would not get a helmet for him. He stated that, over time, normal

growth would correct some of the asymmetry and he's not that bad to begin with.

Most people (friends, relatives, etc) don't notice anything abnormal about his

head shape.

> >

> > However, we did take him to an orthotist a couple months ago and she

recommended a helmet and said it would help round him out and make him more

symmetrical. She said the head grows (at least mostly) in the same proportion

it is in now, so without a helmet there will likely not be much change.

> >

> > We did not see a cranial-facial specialist.

> >

> > Our son doesn't have to be perfect, but we want him at least to look normal

to the point where people don't notice when he's older, and so he can live a

normal life without worrying about looking different. I'm struggling with the

decision. He may be fine without a helmet, but I don't know for certain.

Please let me know any suggestions, advice, etc that you have.

> >

> > Also, from what I have been reading it sounds like DOC Band centers are some

of the most competent, but we don't have one nearby in southeastern Michigan.

I've also heard of STAR Band. We went to an orthotist at a place called

and Filippis, and their helmets are made by Danmar Products in Ann Arbor. Has

anybody dealt with these places or know anything about them?

> >

> > Thank you

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I would take him to see a cranio facial specialist. I found that our doctor had

very differing opinions from the orthotist. If he is mild, the helmet might not

be necessary. My son had a helmet for 6 months - 1 year and his plagio was

quite severe. at one year the doctor felt that he had improved enough to take

it off. The orthotist wanted us to keep him in the helmet until he was two.

Very different!

I am sorry but we didn't use the helmets that you are looking at so I don't have

any feedback. From what I read, I think that ours was closer to the hanger

helmet and it was very succesful.

Best of luck!

> >

> > Hello, I'm Rob. I'm new to the group and am hoping for some help/advice

from other group members.

> >

> > My wife and I have a cute-as-can-be 6 month old boy. His being in the

breech position caused him to have plagiocephaly and torticollis. Both are

relatively mild. He has a little flatness on the back right side, slight

bossing on the right forehead and his right side of his head is slightly higher

than the left, which is a little more sloped. He also has a " dent " in the back

of the head (middle, near the top).

> >

> > I noticed a bit of a crooked head and head tilt when he was about 1 month

old, researched it online, showed our Pediatrician, and we started some

repositioning. He's been going to physical therapy for the torticollis for a

few months and has made great progress. He's almost done with it.

> >

> > We are now at the point where I think we should decide if we are going to

put him in a cranial helmet. One problem is we were given differing opinions.

Since he is mild, our Ped does not recommend a helmet. He said if it were his

baby, he would not get a helmet for him. He stated that, over time, normal

growth would correct some of the asymmetry and he's not that bad to begin with.

Most people (friends, relatives, etc) don't notice anything abnormal about his

head shape.

> >

> > However, we did take him to an orthotist a couple months ago and she

recommended a helmet and said it would help round him out and make him more

symmetrical. She said the head grows (at least mostly) in the same proportion

it is in now, so without a helmet there will likely not be much change.

> >

> > We did not see a cranial-facial specialist.

> >

> > Our son doesn't have to be perfect, but we want him at least to look normal

to the point where people don't notice when he's older, and so he can live a

normal life without worrying about looking different. I'm struggling with the

decision. He may be fine without a helmet, but I don't know for certain.

Please let me know any suggestions, advice, etc that you have.

> >

> > Also, from what I have been reading it sounds like DOC Band centers are some

of the most competent, but we don't have one nearby in southeastern Michigan.

I've also heard of STAR Band. We went to an orthotist at a place called

and Filippis, and their helmets are made by Danmar Products in Ann Arbor. Has

anybody dealt with these places or know anything about them?

> >

> > Thank you

> >

>