Re: Re: medical risks to the DOC band?

[Guest guest]

As said there is no pressure on the brain. This is all for the head shape. It will not hurt your child in any way except to improve the shape of your child's head. My son gets his DOC Band on May 24 and am very excited to hopefully start seeing improvement soon after. He will also be 5 1/2 months at that time.

From: Vazquez <lisa.m.vazquez@...>Subject: Re: medical risks to the DOC band?Plagiocephaly Date: Friday, April 23, 2010, 3:07 PM

We are under the care of a neurosurgeon. He has absolutely no concern about anything like that. There is very very little pressure applied to the head. I think you will feel more comfortable as you learn more about how it works. >> We're going tomorrow for a consultation at Cranial Tech, for my 5 1/2 month old son who has mild to moderate brachy. I'm wondering about whether anyone has information or articles they can direct me towards, on what are the medical risks of the DOC band? My main concern is, can it affect brain development since it's putting pressure on the skull. Is there any way it could limit the baby's brain growth? I know they check it regularly and adjust it etc, but

still -- is there a risk? Thanks for any insights and for pointing me towards any studies to check out!>

[Guest guest]

I can add the the major brands of bands are FDA approved. This means that they have been studied and have been found to cause no major risks to the baby.

I have seen the original approval docements. I believe that the only possible medical risks were associated with skin irritations - nothing significant related to the brain.

Re: medical risks to the DOC band?

We are under the care of a neurosurgeon. He has absolutely no concern about anything like that. There is very very little pressure applied to the head. I think you will feel more comfortable as you learn more about how it works. >> We're going tomorrow for a consultation at Cranial Tech, for my 5 1/2 month old son who has mild to moderate brachy. I'm wondering about whether anyone has information or articles they can direct me towards, on what are the medical risks of the DOC band? My main concern is, can it affect brain development since it's putting pressure on the skull. Is there any way it could limit the baby's brain growth? I know they check it regularly and adjust it etc, but still -- is there a risk? Thanks for any insights and for pointing me towards any studies to check out!>

[Guest guest]

I can't speak formally for anything really "medical" as I am just a mom who has done a ton of research.

What I have seen personally in my own baby, she rolled over late (6.5 mo.) - actually after she got her band. She never crawled and then walked early (8.5 mo.)... her fine motor skills were fine... but her gross were slower on her leftside - which is the side she has torticollis on. My dd also has a spinal cord abnormality.

As far as babies with plagio having slower skills... I would argue that it's not the babies w/plagio.... it's the babies who are solely on their backs thanks to the "Back to Sleep" campaign. With BTS, parents are afraid for them to be on their tummys, which lead to babys having no upperbody strength. I've even heard the the AAP is wanting to change the milestones to better fit where babies are now that so many of them have lower upper body strength. Interesting!!!!

Jen

Mom to Luli - 4 yrs old

Torticollis, Plagio, Syringomyelia

Re: medical risks to the DOC band?

Hello

I am afraid that the whole issue is not as simple as many people from the 'helmet field' want to present it. I am in the same situation as u, my baby boy has moderate brachy and am currently trying to understand what is best for him. I have also spoken to neurosurgeon and paediatricians and they have said the same, it has no side effects/it does not apply pressure/ it is completely safe. The truth is that, yes it does not apply active pressure but by holding the prominent areas, it applies passive pressures (civil engineers like me probably understand better the active and passive pressures concept). I found this very interesting article from Paediatrics-Official Journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics (Management of Positional Skull Deformities: Who Needs a Helmet?, W. Stallings, Arthur Persing, D. Rappo, Arthur Persing, Lanzkowsky and Arthur Persing, DOI: 10.1542/peds.113.2.422, Pediatrics 2004;113;422-424), where it says:

....Although there are no data that suggest that the use of cranial-remodeling devices leads to direct intracranial injury, it is difficult not to speculate that the application of steady pressure, for an extended period of time, to a cranial axis with some deformable and nondeformable structures would not have some potential effect beyond simple reshaping of the infant head. Such speculation would seem to suggest a potential research alliance between pediatric generalists and specialists and mechanical engineers with an understanding of fluid dynamics. As the number of children with this condition continues to increase, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its potential guidance for future research endeavors will assume a level of paramount importance...

Have a look at the whole article if u want, i found it very useful. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/113/2/422

My husband is also a doctor and is very worried about those pressures applied on the head and thinks that if a child is neurologically ok, parents should not take any risk through helmet treatment. I on the other hand, because i feel guilty for the positional deformation i caused to my baby i want to make my baby's head as normal as possible so am still considering helmet treatment.

I want to ask to the parents, did any parent with flat head syndrome notice any motor and/or cognitive delays as mentioned in the following article? In that case, helmet treatment will prevent or cure such delays which are linked to the flat head syndrome? And has any parent noticed any change during helmet treatment (neurological, behavioural etc)?

Article: New study possibly links cognitive and motor delays with 'flat head syndrome' in young babies

Published: Monday, February 15, 2010 - 01:21 in Health & Medicine

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/02/15/new.study.possibly.links.cognitive.and.motor.delays.with.flat.head.syndrome.young.babies

Maybe i should start a new topic with this question. Let me know what u have decided If u cannot access the articles i can send them to u.

> >

> > We're going tomorrow for a consultation at Cranial Tech, for my 5 1/2 month old son who has mild to moderate brachy. I'm wondering about whether anyone has information or articles they can direct me towards, on what are the medical risks of the DOC band? My main concern is, can it affect brain development since it's putting pressure on the skull. Is there any way it could limit the baby's brain growth? I know they check it regularly and adjust it etc, but still -- is there a risk? Thanks for any insights and for pointing me towards any studies to check out!

> >

>

[Guest guest]

The doc band has been around for 20 years (I believe) and most of the bands have been FDA approved for about 10 years. I really think that this would be long enough for researchers to have found such problems. Maybe the author of this article needs to put some research behind the claims.

I have posted previously about 's milestones, but no - absolutely no delays (based upon developmental testing since she participates in a developmental study as a control subject). In fact, she was ahead in all areas but fine motor skills. In one area (which I was told was like a nonverbal IQ), she score at 48 months when she was only 29 month old). She has been followed in this study since she was 14 months old. One of the test sessions was done when she was in her band (17 months). She will continue to be followed once a year until she is 12 (assuming we stay in the study). So, I will have concrete data about whether or not she has delays and I expect none.

She walked at 9 months and had 100 words by 16 months. And, she has learned her letters and numbers and seems bright in all of the other figuring things out way. Of course, she is a product of two Ph.D.s, but nevertheless, if a band were to have caused delays, she would not have scored so well. I would expect to see some sign of trouble and I probably would spot it since I am a school psychologist. I see no evidence of any negative developmental, learning, or cognitive effects from her STARband, which she wore for over 6 months. Her only other issues besides brachy is food allergies and reflux (outgrown 3 months ago), and those started at birth and cannot be directly related to any band wear.

So, I strongly suspect that this author is wrong.

, mom to , 2 2/3 years

STARband grad May 2009

Chiro and CST

land

<a href="http://www.baby-gaga.com/"><img src="http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatard20070824_-8_DD+is.png" alt="baby" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.baby-gaga.com/"><img src="http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleard20060414_-8_DS+is.png" alt="baby" border="0" /></a> Re: medical risks to the DOC band?

Hello

I am afraid that the whole issue is not as simple as many people from the 'helmet field' want to present it. I am in the same situation as u, my baby boy has moderate brachy and am currently trying to understand what is best for him. I have also spoken to neurosurgeon and paediatricians and they have said the same, it has no side effects/it does not apply pressure/ it is completely safe. The truth is that, yes it does not apply active pressure but by holding the prominent areas, it applies passive pressures (civil engineers like me probably understand better the active and passive pressures concept). I found this very interesting article from Paediatrics-Official Journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics (Management of Positional Skull Deformities: Who Needs a Helmet?, W. Stallings, Arthur Persing, D. Rappo, Arthur Persing, Lanzkowsky and Arthur Persing, DOI: 10.1542/peds.113.2.422, Pediatrics 2004;113;422-424), where it says:

....Although there are no data that suggest that the use of cranial-remodeling devices leads to direct intracranial injury, it is difficult not to speculate that the application of steady pressure, for an extended period of time, to a cranial axis with some deformable and nondeformable structures would not have some potential effect beyond simple reshaping of the infant head. Such speculation would seem to suggest a potential research alliance between pediatric generalists and specialists and mechanical engineers with an understanding of fluid dynamics. As the number of children with this condition continues to increase, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its potential guidance for future research endeavors will assume a level of paramount importance...

Have a look at the whole article if u want, i found it very useful. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/113/2/422

My husband is also a doctor and is very worried about those pressures applied on the head and thinks that if a child is neurologically ok, parents should not take any risk through helmet treatment. I on the other hand, because i feel guilty for the positional deformation i caused to my baby i want to make my baby's head as normal as possible so am still considering helmet treatment.

I want to ask to the parents, did any parent with flat head syndrome notice any motor and/or cognitive delays as mentioned in the following article? In that case, helmet treatment will prevent or cure such delays which are linked to the flat head syndrome? And has any parent noticed any change during helmet treatment (neurological, behavioural etc)?

Article: New study possibly links cognitive and motor delays with 'flat head syndrome' in young babies

Published: Monday, February 15, 2010 - 01:21 in Health & Medicine

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/02/15/new.study.possibly.links.cognitive.and.motor.delays.with.flat.head.syndrome.young.babies

Maybe i should start a new topic with this question. Let me know what u have decided If u cannot access the articles i can send them to u.

> >> > We're going tomorrow for a consultation at Cranial Tech, for my 5 1/2 month old son who has mild to moderate brachy. I'm wondering about whether anyone has information or articles they can direct me towards, on what are the medical risks of the DOC band? My main concern is, can it affect brain development since it's putting pressure on the skull. Is there any way it could limit the baby's brain growth? I know they check it regularly and adjust it etc, but still -- is there a risk? Thanks for any insights and for pointing me towards any studies to check out!> >>

[Guest guest]

Hello,Making the decision whether to band is not an easy one and it is certainly not one that I took lightly when I decided to band my daughter almost two months ago. My daughter's treatment is being overseen by a neurosurgeon who assures me that helmet therapy is safe. It is well-known that helmets/bands hold prominent areas in equilibrium in order to re-direct growth in deficient areas. This force created by the helmet has to be strong enough hold and re-direct growth much like the force that was strong enough to deform my baby's head. In other words, if the initial force that deformed by baby's head did not injure her brain, then why would the helmet? They are both constant, forceful pressures that reshape the infant head for better(cranial helmet) or worse(positional

plagiocephaly.)Now, on to your question. is my second child, so I can only compare her to my son who had no plagiocephaly. She rolled over much earlier than my son. However, she would only roll one way because of severe right tilt torticollis. Physical therapy helped her overcome that completely. Now, on to the crawling. She is almost ten months old and although her PT assures me that is strong enough to crawl, she is not doing it. She rolls and scoots to get around and even pushes up, but she will not crawl. Some babies walk and never crawl, but crawling is important developmentally, so the PT showed me things I can do for to help her get the things she needs from crawling just in case she doesn't. My son crawled right at 10 months and is almost that age, so she could surprise me and just up and crawl perfectly one day with no practice just like her brother. Children can be so different from one another as I am

learning as a parent to two children who are like night and day.Thanks for posting the study. It's very interesting. I don't think it mentioned whether any of the children had Torticollis, which would definitely affect things like rolling over, crawling and walking. On a side note, the nurse practioner in the neurosurgeon's office did tell me that helmet therapy can sometimes cause developmental delays like crawling and walking due to the weight(albeit slight) of the helmet on the head. Who knows what to think? I think there will need to be many more studies to figure all this out and what effects, if any, each have on the other. Anyway, good luck to you in your decision-making. It's not an easy call to make, but I will say, in my case, I am astounded at the level of correction my baby has gotten in less than 2 months. Her head looks the way it should for the first time since birth. I certainly have no regrets and know I did the right

thing for my daughter who suffered from severe plagio. You just have to do what you feel is right.Again, good luck.-Amy From: vk263 <vk263@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Fri, April 23, 2010 9:24:07 PMSubject: Re: medical risks to the DOC band? Hello I am afraid that the whole issue is not as simple as many people from the 'helmet field' want to present it. I am in the same situation as u, my baby boy has moderate brachy and am currently trying to understand what is best for him. I have also spoken to neurosurgeon and paediatricians and they have said the same, it has no side effects/it does not apply pressure/ it is completely safe. The truth is that, yes it does not apply active pressure but by holding the prominent areas, it applies passive pressures (civil engineers like me probably understand better the active and passive pressures concept). I found

this very interesting article from Paediatrics- Official Journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics (Management of Positional Skull Deformities: Who Needs a Helmet?, W. Stallings, Arthur Persing, D. Rappo, Arthur Persing, Lanzkowsky and Arthur Persing, DOI: 10.1542/peds. 113.2.422, Pediatrics 2004;113;422- 424), where it says: ...Although there are no data that suggest that the use of cranial-remodeling devices leads to direct intracranial injury, it is difficult not to speculate that the application of steady pressure, for an extended period of time, to a cranial axis with some deformable

and nondeformable structures would not have some potential effect beyond simple reshaping of the infant head. Such speculation would seem to suggest a potential research alliance between pediatric generalists and specialists and mechanical engineers with an understanding of fluid dynamics. As the number of children with this condition continues to increase, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its potential guidance for future research endeavors will assume a level of paramount importance.. . Have a look at the whole article if u want, i found it very useful. http://pediatrics. aappublications. org/cgi/reprint/ 113/2/422 My husband is also a doctor and is very worried about those pressures applied on the head and thinks that if a child is neurologically ok, parents should not take any risk through helmet treatment. I on the other hand, because i feel guilty for the positional deformation i caused to my baby i want to make my baby's head as normal as possible so am still considering helmet treatment. I want to ask to the parents, did any parent with flat head syndrome notice any motor and/or cognitive delays as mentioned in the following article? In that case, helmet treatment will prevent or cure such delays which are linked to the flat head syndrome? And has any parent noticed any change during helmet treatment (neurological, behavioural etc)? Article: New study possibly links cognitive and motor delays with 'flat head syndrome' in young babies Published: Monday, February 15, 2010 - 01:21 in Health & Medicine http://esciencenews .com/articles/ 2010/02/15/ new.study. possibly. links.cognitive. and.motor. delays.with. flat.head. syndrome. young.babies Maybe i should start a new topic with this question. Let me know what u have decided If u cannot access the articles i can send them to u. > >> > We're going tomorrow for a consultation at Cranial Tech, for my 5 1/2 month old son who has mild to moderate brachy. I'm wondering about whether anyone has information or articles they can direct me towards, on what are the medical risks of the DOC band? My main concern is, can it affect brain development since it's putting pressure on the skull. Is there any way it could

limit the baby's brain growth? I know they check it regularly and adjust it etc, but still -- is there a risk? Thanks for any insights and for pointing me towards any studies to check out!> >>