Please tell me more about alternative therapies for toddlers... I feel lost.

[Guest guest]

Quick recap - and I apologize for being repetitive - this is the first time

I'[ve " talked " about any of this, I've just been keeping it all inside. Cannot

even bring up with my husband right now.

My son wore a helmet for 15 weeks last summer - age 6 months to 10 months.

He is 19.5 months now - his forehead bossing is still noticeable and possibly

worse - and his eyes are more asymmetrical than they were when he first got his

helmet off. I am so anxious and upset over this - it has happened so slowly of

course - I don't even trust my eyes anymore. I stare at him from different

angles - questioning what I'm seeing. From some angles his eyes look fine -

then I'll catch an alternate angle and they look SO OFF I will literally feel

nauseous. I in no way mean to insinuate that looking at my son makes me sick -

I feel sick because I feel like I failed him, like it's my fault, and like my

beautiful, beautiful little boy may be stuck with a slightly asymmetrical face

and maybe have to deal with teasing someday - it makes me cry as I type this.

My starband orthotist was WAY too laid back too. Did very few scans. My son

grew out of his helmet, that's why we had to take it off - it was starting to

smash into one side of his face (which could have caused all sorts of other

problems.) But although his head was not completely rounded out at the time - I

thought it was " good enough " and he was fine. Now I wish I would have demanded

we get a second helmet - and seen it through to the end. Why didn't I? Because

I was tired of the helmet and orthotist said he looked " great. " And they don't

" do " second helmets there. But he wasn't done.

These " new " developments may be related to tort - he has good neck mobility and

strength but I wonder if he may still have a mild case - maybe this is pulling

his face down on one side, I don't know. To me though - it just looks like his

plag side is more " forward " - including the bossed forehead - and this appears

to be what is pushing his eye down slightly. His cheek still looks slightly

fuller on that side - although less so as he has thinned out a lot.

Another poster suggested investigating osteopathy and some other alternative

therapies. I need more info on these alternative therapies, I don't know

anything about these options - where to start? which one makes the most sense?

And any recs would be great - I'm in Pittsburgh, PA. Thank you.

Also - is 18 months REALLY the helmet cut off? Anybody heard of an older

toddler getting a helmet? If recommended - I'd do it - even though we'd all

hate it. But given how long EVERYTHING takes - it would probably be at least a

month from now - and he'd be 20.5 months by then.

Please - any thoughts - explanations of how alternative therapies can help - I

really need some guidance, I just feel really lost and upset.

Thank you so much.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I understand how you feel, since I've experienced it too and still do

sometimes. Plus, nobody really understands and if you do tell people

they think you are nuts because what you obviously see they don't. My

husband listens to me. He no longer sees most of it, but he believes

it is there since he used to see more and the therapists confirm what I

see, although it is very mild. We've been trying most the various

therapies, some with one boy and some with the other. I'm not sure yet

which to recommend or which works best. I think they help, but you may

not get drastic results fast. The younger the better. It is crucial

to get an experienced therapist with plagio/tort. Do you have a local

parent's group in your area? I emailed a query to ours and that is

where I found most our referrals. My experience is CST is the most

mild, then osteopathy, and NCR is the most powerful. Dr. Howell is the

recommended doctor for NCR and he has a website. This option involves

traveling and a tremendous amount of commitment. I don't keep up on

the theory of how these methods work since that is more my husband's

job.

Also, I don't think it would hurt to get evaluated for a second

helmet. Then you will feel like you did everything you could, and it

might help. My son got a little improvement in his head at your son's

age with his helmet.

Hopefully, others can tell you more and maybe give you referrals in

your area.

-Kathy, mom to 24 months, and 5.5 years

afschisler wrote:

Quick recap - and I apologize for being repetitive - this is the

first time I'[ve "talked" about any of this, I've just been keeping it

all inside. Cannot even bring up with my husband right now.

My son wore a helmet for 15 weeks last summer - age 6 months to 10

months.

He is 19.5 months now - his forehead bossing is still noticeable and

possibly worse - and his eyes are more asymmetrical than they were when

he first got his helmet off. I am so anxious and upset over this - it

has happened so slowly of course - I don't even trust my eyes anymore.

I stare at him from different angles - questioning what I'm seeing.

From some angles his eyes look fine - then I'll catch an alternate

angle and they look SO OFF I will literally feel nauseous. I in no way

mean to insinuate that looking at my son makes me sick - I feel sick

because I feel like I failed him, like it's my fault, and like my

beautiful, beautiful little boy may be stuck with a slightly

asymmetrical face and maybe have to deal with teasing someday - it

makes me cry as I type this.

My starband orthotist was WAY too laid back too. Did very few scans. My

son grew out of his helmet, that's why we had to take it off - it was

starting to smash into one side of his face (which could have caused

all sorts of other problems.) But although his head was not completely

rounded out at the time - I thought it was "good enough" and he was

fine. Now I wish I would have demanded we get a second helmet - and

seen it through to the end. Why didn't I? Because I was tired of the

helmet and orthotist said he looked "great." And they don't "do" second

helmets there. But he wasn't done.

These "new" developments may be related to tort - he has good neck

mobility and strength but I wonder if he may still have a mild case -

maybe this is pulling his face down on one side, I don't know. To me

though - it just looks like his plag side is more "forward" - including

the bossed forehead - and this appears to be what is pushing his eye

down slightly. His cheek still looks slightly fuller on that side -

although less so as he has thinned out a lot.

Another poster suggested investigating osteopathy and some other

alternative therapies. I need more info on these alternative therapies,

I don't know anything about these options - where to start? which one

makes the most sense? And any recs would be great - I'm in Pittsburgh,

PA. Thank you.

Also - is 18 months REALLY the helmet cut off? Anybody heard of an

older toddler getting a helmet? If recommended - I'd do it - even

though we'd all hate it. But given how long EVERYTHING takes - it would

probably be at least a month from now - and he'd be 20.5 months by

then.

Please - any thoughts - explanations of how alternative therapies can

help - I really need some guidance, I just feel really lost and upset.

Thank you so much.