Re: STARband vs. STARlight side opening band, PLEASE HELP!

[Guest guest]

We have a starband. Yes, the band smells when we take it off for that one hour a day. But we clean it and clean the baby and wash her hair and all is fine. Once we clean the band, it doesn't smell anymore. I would imagine they all have to smell a bit since it's on the head for 23 hrs a day with sweat.

 

But we have been fine with the starband.

On Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 3:53 PM, arriola.linda <arriola.linda@...> wrote:

 

Just got back from my son's evaluation, Orthotist recommends starlight over starband. Apparently STARband helmets tend to smell really band??? And irritate the baby's skin?? Does anyone have this problem?? Please advice, confused on which one I should use on my son. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

The smell is certainly not a legitimate reason. ) Irritation of

the skin, somewhat plausible: it looks like there's a combination of

soft padding and smooth shell material in the STARlight, whereas the

STARband lining is sort of firm, with pores. Abrasion is surely a

contributing factor with the heat rash that many of us get in the

first couple weeks. Most babies do get over it, but a few do not.

There are probably other reasons the orthotist won't admit.

Orthomerica's website says STARlight is always made to full symmetry,

so the orthotist will be aiming to do relatively few adjustments of

the shape over the course of treatment. It probably is much easier

to change thin sticky pads than to sculpt the thick foam lining of a

STARband into symmetry as the head grows. That might diminish the

possibility of a relatively unskilled orthotist form committing

errors. On the other hand, the less conforming fit may be

potentially less effective at directing new skull growth, on which

the correction of plagio depends.

So, if a particular orthotist is more comfortable using the

STARlight, it's probably better all around if you let him do so. I

think this reduces to a question of whether the orthotist can meet

the challenge of your son's case, or are there are more reputable

orthotists available to you, what are the relative costs, etc. We

chose a local orthotist over a four-hour trek to Cranial Tech, and it

didn't work very well. I don't think STARband is the best fitting

band in the first place. So I'm actually inclined to favor the

STARlight recommendation, depending on those other factors.

Good luck!

Thad Launderville

town, VT

Clara age 2, STARband '10

On Oct 26, 2010, at 4:53 PM, arriola.linda wrote:

> Just got back from my son's evaluation, Orthotist recommends

> starlight over starband. Apparently STARband helmets tend to smell

> really band??? And irritate the baby's skin?? Does anyone have this

> problem?? Please advice, confused on which one I should use on my

> son. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.