Re: Hanger vs. Doc Band

March 31, 2010

My experience with CT has been phenomenal. I would highly recommend using them, especially if you are only 25 minutes away from one of their clinics. Many people drive several hours and some even fly to the nearest CT clinic. If you pay in full, you should receive a $300 discount. This would apply for each band. I was navigating some of the older archives of this group and found a post by Jeanne Pomatto-Hertz, founder and CEO of Cranial Tech, explaining why some babies need more than one band. It was posted in 2005, so the numbers aren't up to date.Does Treatment Require More Than One DOC BandHaving been alerted to the discussion regarding the number of bandsneeded to treat a child, I believe some erroneous information isbeing provided. As much as a parent may want to hear that one bandwill "fix" everything, one has to understand that this is a child'shead and also a child's future and the "one size fits all" conceptreally doesn't work.As practitioners, we try to simplify our explanations so thatlaypersons can understand the basics of how cranial bands are used totreat plagiocephaly. However, the actual product and the treatmentinvolves a great deal more, including knowledge of physics, materialproperties, human anatomy – and most importantly - an understandingof the medical condition itself and the nature of the rapidly growinginfant cranium. This is certainly more than could be explained in anemail or even a one-week course, and is in fact an area to which Ihave dedicated my sole energy over the last two decades. With that inmind, I will summarize the concept behind the DOC Band®.Starting out in this field in 1986, my aim was not to have thecheapest product, the product that never needed replacing or theproduct insurance companies would prefer. My goal was to design theabsolute best product that would provide the best correction for eachinfant, returning that child to as near normal appearance aspossible, and to avoid any negative consequences in that child'sfuture life. As in any business, medical or not, being the bestcomes from much study, effort and perseverance. The product and theengineering behind it is critically important, as is the knowledgeand competence level of the provider (clinician, therapist, orthotistetc). Even the most experienced clinician can't work with a poorlydesigned or manufactured product.Why might a child need more than one band? We do know from our mostrecent statistics (data base includes every child CranialTech evertreated), that 12.7% of our patients have needed 2 bands and 0.5% had3 bands. This is a far cry from such comments as "every child needstwo or three DOC Bands". Severity is the number one reason a secondband would be indicated, along with the age at start of banding(treatment for younger infants is more effective). Whether thedeformity began inutero (in the womb) or developed after birth(positional) also plays a role. Inutero deformities are moredifficult to treat as the cranial bones have been deformed for alonger period and will take longer to correct.Having specialized in the area of plagiocephaly for the last 20years, I have been called on to work with physicians and specialistson many difficult and severe cases. Our reputation in successfullytreating patients who fall outside others' area of expertise, (forinstance the baby's age range or level of deformation) also affectsthe statistics of multiple band use. Please remember that ourstatistics reflect EVERY case we have ever treated.In designing our band, we take into consideration the need tointerfere as little as possible with the daily life of the baby –feeding, rolling, visual stimulation etc. It is critical to allowthe baby to keep developing and reaching milestones. When a band isproperly suspended on the head, it can actually aid in development;it is not uncommon to find an infant who could not roll (being wedgedinto one position from the flattening of the skull) to roll intwo/three days after the DOC Band is put on and they are no longerlocked into place by the deformation. The suspension of the bandneeds to be in the anatomically correct position – not causing toomuch flexion or extension of the infant's neck. For instance, a linerwith too much thickness can cause excess flexion and a concern ofcompromising the airway. Thickness adds weight to the device and maycause the infant's head to fall onto the chest while sitting or theinfant being unable to pick the head up when laying down; both ofthese will cause the neck to weaken. How can the baby develop andstrengthen with excess weight on the head? Every detail in thedesign of the DOC Band was focused on the infant and, again, the bestoutcome for that individual child.In closing, I am very emphatic that it can be dangerous to lump thesechildren together and to homogenize them simply because they haveplagiocephaly. We need to look at the distinct deformity of eachchild and design the band to that child's needs. Each child is anindividual person and we must not loose sight of that.Jeanne Pomatto-HertzFounder and CEO,Cranial Technologies, Inc.>> I'm trying to decide which to go with as I have a Hanger place and Cranial Tech (Doc Band) within 25 minutes of my house. My insurance won't cover either. The Hanger is $2500 and the DOC Band is $3800. Not sure why the DOC Band is so much more?? CT said my son would most likely have to have 2 helmets which means over $7000 out of pocket. Hanger said they've never had to put a baby into 2 helmets and hadn't heard that before. Any advice on which to go with? Of course I'm leaning towards the Hanger since it's cheaper but I want the best for my son as any mom would. I've seen people post that the Hanger is passive but the lady said they will shave the helmet just as CT does each visit so that means active, right?>

March 31, 2010

We are flying to CT, because a local band didn't work well for us ( it wasn't

Hanger though).

I also don't believe that the head can grow through the hole on top. Well, it

can but it would mean that there was no room within the band to grow elsewhere.

Besides, other bands/helmets also have openings on top. So it can happen in any

other band if it is not adjusted in due time. Actually, I think, the chance of

it happening in a Doc Band is lower because ( at least in a plagio band) you can

see the spaces in the band and where they are exactly. With our first helmet (

which looked like a Starband design-wise) I could only guess where all the

growth was going to.

Hope this helps

Tatiana, mom to ( doc band since 1/18/2009)

>

> I'm trying to decide which to go with as I have a Hanger place and Cranial

Tech (Doc Band) within 25 minutes of my house. My insurance won't cover either.

The Hanger is $2500 and the DOC Band is $3800. Not sure why the DOC Band is so

much more?? CT said my son would most likely have to have 2 helmets which means

over $7000 out of pocket. Hanger said they've never had to put a baby into 2

helmets and hadn't heard that before. Any advice on which to go with? Of

course I'm leaning towards the Hanger since it's cheaper but I want the best for

my son as any mom would. I've seen people post that the Hanger is passive but

the lady said they will shave the helmet just as CT does each visit so that

means active, right?

>

April 1, 2010

Another factor to think about is that CT takes a digital image of your child's

head and uses that to make a custom helemt. I am not sure if Hanger still uses

plaster casts. I would think that process would be more traumatic.