Re: How to decide to get a helmet/band consultation?

[Guest guest]

get a consult everywhere I have been they are free. Not sure what area you are in but look for places with scanners

From: dividivitree <dividivitree@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Fri, March 18, 2011 6:38:46 PMSubject: How to decide to get a helmet/band consultation?

Hi all,My almost 6 month daughter was diagnosed by her pediatrician at 2 months with plagiocephaly. Baby liked to sleep in a little spot on her right side of her head and developed a pretty flat spot. Doc said if we intervene now it will go away. I tried to put a blanket under her but she kept rolling off because she was swaddled. That intervention didn't last very long. At her 3 month visit the doctor said I absolutely need to reposition, so I tried to hold her more, tummy time more, but never really stuck the blanket under her at night because of her swaddle. At 4 months the doctor said to fix the deformity would require a helmet. I had noticed some improvement, so I was surprised to hear that. After that I started to really be vigilant about night time sleeping since she was already off her head most of the day. I have seen some growth around the bottom, but it is still flat on the right side. I asked the doctor at 5.5 months, does her head

look better and the doc's response was are you happy with it? Well, honestly, I'm not. I bought a tool to help me measure her severity so I could be prepared for the next step. I can't really tell, but it seems like her measurements are between 6mm and 10mm for a (almost) 6 month old. I'm prepared to ask the doc at our upcoming 6 mo visit to get a referral. Any adivce? Any similar experiences? From what I have read and from what the doc says, it will never go away on its own if the baby is older than 3 months.-Seriously freaking out

[Guest guest]

You're actually ahead of the game, if your pediatrician is really

willing to back up their opinion and write the prescription for a

helmet. Six months is still not a bad time to seek treatment. It's

just the beginning of the period in which it starts to take longer to

get complete correction. You'll most likely be done and satisfied

before she's one year old... when the period of diminishing returns

is thought to commence.

We weren't so lucky (delayed 15 months, stuck with 8 mm asymmetry)

but elements of your story are certainly familiar. If that kind of

" repositioning " with a blanket roll worked, I'd be making doughnut

holes by flipping my pancakes! ) For a neonate, the thing you

would have wanted was a " ring pillow " or " head cup. " But once they

start rolling that head around, forget it.

I find it hard to believe the diagonal difference is less than 1 cm

if a *pediatrician* is advising a helmet. There are various ways to

measure, and I wouldn't enter an argument as to which are the most

valid, but the one that made most sense to me was to let a

perpendicular line from the nose, rather than a line from the nose to

lambda, be the reference for the equal angles. That way, the DD

reflects the angularity of the overall head shape.

http://www.plagiocephalyflathead.com/measure_plagiocephaly.php

So, the next step is getting a prescription for a helmet, not a

referral to another doctor, given your pediatrician's pro-helmet

stance. Bring the " tool " with you and let them refer to your

insurance guidelines. Not that I ever got one doctor to measure

Clara's head to my satisfaction... but it's worth a try! As long as

you get that helmet, and not the typical run-around.

--

Thad Launderville

town, VT

Clara, almost 3 yrs old, STARband '10

On Mar 18, 2011, at 6:38 PM, dividivitree wrote:

> At 4 months the doctor said to fix the deformity would require a

> helmet. I had noticed some improvement, so I was surprised to hear

> that. After that I started to really be vigilant about night time

> sleeping since she was already off her head most of the day. I

> have seen some growth around the bottom, but it is still flat on

> the right side. I asked the doctor at 5.5 months, does her head

> look better and the doc's response was are you happy with it?

> Well, honestly, I'm not. I bought a tool to help me measure her

> severity so I could be prepared for the next step. I can't really

> tell, but it seems like her measurements are between 6mm and 10mm

> for a (almost) 6 month old. I'm prepared to ask the doc at our

> upcoming 6 mo visit to get a referral.

[Guest guest]

thanks!!!!!!!!!!

Carmen

From: Thad Launderville <p38thadl@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Fri, March 18, 2011 11:40:48 PMSubject: Re: How to decide to get a helmet/band consultation?

You're actually ahead of the game, if your pediatrician is really willing to back up their opinion and write the prescription for a helmet. Six months is still not a bad time to seek treatment. It's just the beginning of the period in which it starts to take longer to get complete correction. You'll most likely be done and satisfied before she's one year old... when the period of diminishing returns is thought to commence.We weren't so lucky (delayed 15 months, stuck with 8 mm asymmetry) but elements of your story are certainly familiar. If that kind of "repositioning" with a blanket roll worked, I'd be making doughnut holes by flipping my pancakes! ) For a neonate, the thing you would have wanted was a "ring pillow" or "head cup." But once they start rolling that head around, forget it.I find it hard to believe the diagonal difference is less than 1 cm if a *pediatrician* is advising a

helmet. There are various ways to measure, and I wouldn't enter an argument as to which are the most valid, but the one that made most sense to me was to let a perpendicular line from the nose, rather than a line from the nose to lambda, be the reference for the equal angles. That way, the DD reflects the angularity of the overall head shape.http://www.plagiocephalyflathead.com/measure_plagiocephaly.phpSo, the next step is getting a prescription for a helmet, not a referral to another doctor, given your pediatrician's pro-helmet stance. Bring the "tool" with you and let them refer to your insurance guidelines. Not that I ever got one doctor to measure Clara's head to my satisfaction... but it's worth a try! As long as you get that helmet, and not the typical run-around.-- Thad Laundervilletown, VTClara, almost 3 yrs old, STARband '10On Mar 18, 2011, at 6:38 PM,

dividivitree wrote:> At 4 months the doctor said to fix the deformity would require a > helmet. I had noticed some improvement, so I was surprised to hear > that. After that I started to really be vigilant about night time > sleeping since she was already off her head most of the day. I > have seen some growth around the bottom, but it is still flat on > the right side. I asked the doctor at 5.5 months, does her head > look better and the doc's response was are you happy with it? > Well, honestly, I'm not. I bought a tool to help me measure her > severity so I could be prepared for the next step. I can't really > tell, but it seems like her measurements are between 6mm and 10mm > for a (almost) 6 month old. I'm prepared to ask the doc at our > upcoming 6 mo visit to get a referral.