By Heather O.

1. My SIL had to do this for her son. Both the neck exercises and the helmet. His neck is strong and his head looks fine. I also had a friend who had to put their son in the helmet. It helped with his shape, but didn’t change it completely. His results were much different than my SIL. Both said that the boys were young enough that they got use to the helmet and it was fine, and worth any inconvenience it may have caused.

   Comment #1 by AbbyJune 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 am

2. A close friend of mine has a child who had torticollis. The excercises took a little while, but she didn’t have to do the helmet. If his neck muscles are already getting stronger, hopefully he will be fine too!

   Comment #2 by SarahJune 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 am

3. I had an acquaintance whose son needed to wear a helmet. It really worked and helped him. I think if a helmet is a recommended tool that will help your baby, I would do it. It could make a world of difference.

   Comment #3 by meemsJune 23rd, 2008 at 8:39 am

4. Our son wore a DOC Band brand helmet for 5 months and received Physical Therapy to treat his torticollis. His lopsided head and face is much improved and he has free range of motion. Here is my strong opinion:

   Do not wait another second to see a physical therapist and pursue getting a helmet. Waiting several months till your helmet evaluation may mean extra months in treatment. It seems that the younger the helmet is used, the shorter the treatment.

   We observed his lopsided head at about 2 months. Our pediatrician put off referring us to a physical therapist, saying that the little exercises we were doing would help reshape his head. Every month we would ask again, and she would say to give it another month. Finally, at seven months, we insisted and she gave us a referral to a Pediatric PT. At our first treatment, he strongly recommended a helmet, claiming that the physical therapy cannot reshape the head.

   We used Cranial Therapies (an office associated with Cranial Technologies) and there was no question that the helmet was the way to go.

   Hopefully your insurance will cover it! Good luck. When you get the helmet and want to decorate it, I would be happy to send you the directions.

   Comment #4 by DanyellyJune 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 am

5. I used to nanny for twin girls, one of whom had a misshaped head. The parents’ pediatrician was complacent about it and when they finally got a second opinion, it was too late for her to benefit from wearing a helmet. She will have problems with her teeth and possibly her eyes in the future. There are things a lot worse than wearing the corrective helmet!

   Comment #5 by Barb @ getupandplayJune 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 am

6. I had a friend whose twins had helmets. She really appreciated them when the boys became more mobile and fell down a lot. My son’s head was covered with goose eggs and theirs never were!

   Comment #6 by MarieJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:23 am

7. I have no experience with this, but I would definitely get a second opinion (or third) before deciding anything.

   Comment #7 by The WizJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:24 am

8. I good friend of mine has a son who wore a helmet for the same reasons. It worked wonders, and the earlier you start, the more plastic their heads are, and the shorter the duration of the use. Get to the PT soon!

   Comment #8 by Tracy MJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:32 am

9. Actually, torticollis is quite common among infants. The Physical Therapist that we use treats multiple patients everyday with this condition. The treatment is short-term. If I were you I would get your child into a therapist as soon as possible and if he/she recommends the helmet, go for it!

   Comment #9 by MelJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:34 am

10. i know you said your baby was born that way, but aren’t there associating factors with baby gear like swings, bouncy seats, and car seats used as a bed? i don’t know much about it, just that a neighbor’s son had plagiocephaly and torticollis and they were generally in denial about it. they refused a helmet and the boy’s dad called him “easter island.”

    Comment #10 by makakonaJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 am

11. I should have used the helmet. My daughter has a lopsided head (not very obvious), and I wish I would have tried the helmet or been better about the exercises. Most people can’t tell, but I still feel bad.

    makakona has mentioned a good point, and I would suggest Baby Wearing. If you carry your baby around in slings, wraps, carriers, etc. where the baby isn’t putting pressure on any one side of his head, then it might help a lot. It will also keep the head round as opposed to flat (on the back of the head) to have plenty of “up” time.

    I hope the exercises work! And don’t hesitate to use the helmet. Seriously, it’s a short-term annoyance for a long-term solution. It’s worth it.

    Comment #11 by cherylJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:47 am

12. P.S. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m arguing with those that have said to get second or third opinions, but this is a case of obvious solutions (for the doctor). It’s not something like surgery or medication. I don’t think you need more than one professional opinion on this, especially with it being so common.

    Comment #12 by cherylJune 23rd, 2008 at 9:49 am

13. My niece wore a helmet for 9 months. It didn’t completely round out her head, but it did make a difference. Whenever I babysat her I was grateful for the helmet. She’d hit her head and never even notice. She is so active and always falling, I’m sure she avoided some serious accidents because of the helmet. I was afraid when it came off she wouldn’t be as careful and would hurt herself. But it’s been off for over a month now and she’s learned to be careful of her head and now that she’s almost one she has more control to do so. The helmet was a great thing. But yes, do get it on as soon as possible. I think my sister said each month delay translates into an extra 2 months with the helmet on.

    Comment #13 by SeekerJune 23rd, 2008 at 10:21 am

14. We’re in a similar spot. Our pediatrician recommended that we take our son to a pediatric plastic surgeon for plagiocephaly. We’re not sure whether we’re going to be able to do the helmet or whether it is going to require surgery (we go to our appointment this week), but from all I have read about it, it seems like the sooner you get to the specialist the better off you are. The older they get the more complicated it becomes to fix the problems.

    In short, I would do what others have recommended and get in to someone as soon as you can.

    Comment #14 by JacyJune 23rd, 2008 at 10:27 am

15. I’ve never even heard of this, so I really have nothing to add to the discussion. But I just wanted to say that it’s so great to have somewhere to ask other moms things like this, and it’s amazing what all the moms who post/read here are knowledgeable about! So thanks, MMW, for being a great mom resource.

    Comment #15 by VadaJune 23rd, 2008 at 11:36 am

16. Something to not do: I took the V-girl to a highly recommended chiropractor when she was a week old because she had a few cranial bone issues and it was the lamest experience. Didn’t help and cost too much. If the man had waved a crystal over her and chanted in Latin, it probably would have been more valuable.

    Comment #16 by JamiJune 23rd, 2008 at 11:41 am

17. A friend of mine had a son with this and wore the helmet–but not long enough. He’s 12 now and looks a bit funny.

    Later one of my babies started showing signs of it, so on my own I did stretching exercise, made sure she slept on both sides of her head, and so on. Never needed a helmet or anything, and she looks great today, many years later.

    Comment #17 by AnnetteJune 23rd, 2008 at 11:47 am

18. my nephew had this. he was nearly 7 weeks premie, so he had a lot of challenges. your description of your baby reminds me of him. they did excercises and then he had a helmet for a couple of months. he’s 3 now and totally fine. helmets aren’t ideal, but the kids are so cute in them and if it’s what your doctor says you need, then do it. Especially if it has develompmental repercussions.

    Comment #18 by AubreyJune 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm

19. Thanks so much for posting this Heather! These comments are very helpful.

    My baby doesn’t have a problem with a flat head on the back. His head is so rounded in the back, it actually increases the problem with his twisted neck because he has to have his head turned to one side or the other when he’s lying down because the back of his head is so big.

    Sheesh, I say it that way and it sounds like his head is even worse. Maybe I’m so used to looking at him that I really do need a second opinion.

    He hated the sling, so we don’t use it. He doesn’t really like sleeping in the car seat either, nor did he sleep in a swing very often (and I took it down anyway because it used too much floor space). I prop him up in the corner of the couch when he’s awake and I can’t hold him. He gets held a lot. But he does 90% of his sleeping in his bed.

    I wonder what the doctor would have said if we’d seen the doctor instead of the nurse. I’m one of those moms that takes her kid to the doctor for every little thing, and I’m starting to get self-conscious about it.

    I’ll send the link to this discussion to my husband.

    Jami - my dad thinks I need to take him to a chiropractor, so thanks for the comment on that being worthless. I didn’t want to take him anyway.

    Comment #19 by MelindaJune 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm

20. Jacy #14 - how old is your son? And would you please comment again on this thread after your appt? I’d be interested in knowing what the doctor says.

    And thanks again to everyone for their comments. I only know one person who has used a helmet for their baby, so it’s great to hear from so many people.

    Comment #20 by MelindaJune 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm

21. There are two babies in my ward who wore helmets, I assume for the same condition. In both cases, the misshaped head was caused by the baby leaning on one side too often, in a car seat especially. Both mothers are very conscientious and didn’t neglect them, it was just that the babies didn’t move much. A few months after treatment, their mommas might notice something, but they seem perfectly fine to me.

    Comment #21 by AhnaJune 23rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm

22. I would definitely recommend going to a NUCCA chiropractor. There aren’t a lot of them around–we have 3 in Utah, but very worth it. I took my daughter in when she was about 1 week old just to be checked since we ended up with a forceps delivery. She was fine and didn’t need an adjustment. My friend took her boy in, and he has needed continual adjustments because his right side is weak–he had a stroke during the 3rd trimester–and between the chiropractic care and his other therapies he is doing great.

    However, for a situation requiring the chiropractor alone is probably not going to fix the situation. But it could be very helpful, especially if part of the problem is the neck bones being out of alignment. Whatever you decide, don’t delay. Prevention and early treatment is better than major problems down the road.

    Comment #22 by LindsayJune 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm

23. My daughter was also diagnosed with torticollis at 2 months. Our Pediatrician sent us to a great physical therapist. That and the exercises at home cleared up the torticollis within 2 months. Her head is still slightly flat on the side that was always turned. She’s 19 months old now and her hair covers it. It sounds like your baby has a more severe case than mine did. We didn’t need to use the helmet.
    I’m with everyone else and say to get in with a good pediatric physical therapist as soon as you can.
    I went with a more “granola” type of PT who ran her practice out of a yoga studio. She was more gentle with my baby than some of the other PT’s, and had really great advice for natural remedies and things like that.

    Comment #23 by LisaJune 23rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm

24. We didn’t find out about “therapy” until our insurance refused to pay for the $1800 helmet because my son didn’t have therapy. We appealed and they did end up paying for it.

    FYI helmets work best when you don’t wait too long. by 10 months old, there head won’t grow much so that is too long.

    6 months old is a good age to consider one if the therapy hasn’t worked.

    My son had a flat spot on one side. He always laid on that side in his bassinett, no matter what you did, he get himself back to that spot. His ears were not aligned with each other either. His head isn’t perfect now, but it’s much much better than it was and his ears are aligned right.

    Comment #24 by SarahJune 23rd, 2008 at 1:42 pm

25. You could also check with your local early childhood intervention. They should send someone out to evaluate your child and if they diagnose him with with torticollis, the state should provide therapy for your child. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about insurance paying. Just a thought.

    Comment #25 by ShanonJune 23rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm

26. My baby had torticollis and plagiocephaly. The doctor noticed it & suggested that we lay her down a certain way for diaper changes and a certain direction in the crib, etc. He suggested he might refer her to the PT in the future. I went home & did more research. I realized that time was of the essence. I called him back and asked for an immediate referral to pediatric physical therapy.

    We started going and doing the exercises right away. I hated the exercises. It seemed like cruelty because she was so young (about 2 1/2 months I think) and couldn’t understand the reasons for it. I didn’t have confidence I was doing it right. I worried my relationship with my daughter would be affected (because I was forcing her to do hateful exercises). We talked to the therapists about a helmet. I desperately wanted to throw money at the situation. If we could just get the helmet & make the problem go away! Then I could feel like I had done everything possible and for us spending money would have been easier than doing exercises.

    However, the therapist said no–we need to fix the problem causing the plagiocephaly (flatheadness), not just the flatness. So we went to therapy for months. Although her initial problem was fairly severe, in the end, the physical therapists felt that she had improved to the point that she did not need a helmet. Today, she is sixteen months old and I do not notice any lasting effects.

    It is funny, because until I read your post, I had almost completely forgotten that that had ever happened. However, at the time it was stressful, because I was so worried about my baby and her future. I felt guilty that I somehow might be the cause of her troubles–not holding her enough, not giving her enough tummy time, etc., etc. (Tummy time is really, really important, as I came to find out!) Eventually I realized that her strange position in the womb–she was transverse for quite a while–probably had something to do with her torticollis. Even if it was because I let her swing too much when I realized there was a problem I got rid of the swing. After her diagnosis, I allowed her to sit in her carseat carrier only when we were in the car. I held her as much as a mom of 3 can. It was hard! But I did the best I could for my baby and everything worked out for us.

    My advice: Do be sure to seek out a pediatric physical therapist right away. Although I didn’t like going there at all, the PT’s advice was far more specific than my doctor’s. They just have a lot more experience with torticollis than a pediatrician could. They are specialists. Don’t waste your time with someone who only sees a few cases. The pediatric physical therapist can measure your baby’s head and test his range of movement and give you the definitive word on whether a helmet would be helpful. If they recommend it, I think you should follow their advice as soon as you can. Exercises and helmets in babyhood are nothing compared to permanent misshapenness.

    Comment #26 by Pmom @ Chocolate and GarlicJune 23rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm

27. One more thing–the exact nature of the exercises you should do depends on the type of torticollis your baby has. There is right torticollis and left torticollis, and I imagine there are probably variations on that. I believe my pediatrician had originally recommended exercises that were all the reverse of what my baby actually needed. Especially given that your baby’s plagiocephaly isn’t typical (it’s usually the back of the head that’s flat), I think you should see a specialist (pediatric physical therapist) if at all possible.

    Comment #27 by Pmom @ Chocolate and GarlicJune 23rd, 2008 at 3:09 pm

28. you know, i’d second (or third?) the recommendation to see a chiropractor… but i’m VERY picky about who i’ll see. we have had the best luck with those who are specialized in oriental medicine, so that’s what we stick with.

    as for the sling, i always thought my kids hated them until i figured out what worked best. when they’re that little, i like using a plain ol’ ring sling. i put them on my chest so that they’re positioned the way they would be if you were lying on the couch and they were curled up on your chest. then i just crank the sling down around them. since figuring that out, i have yet to have a malcontent sling baby, even babies of friends.

    Comment #28 by makakonaJune 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm

29. I was a supervisor in an Early Intervention program before I moved and you should call your local Early Intervention/Earl Start person. Torticolis is a condition that is covered under Early Start and you could be eligible for physical therapy under the Early Intervention laws of your state. It is worth a try to check it out. Just google “Early Intervention- (your state)” and you should get the number. Some states have it in their education departments some in the health and human services. It is at no cost for kids who qualify. We had all sorts of kids come through with this condition. The helmets work well, but excercises and stretching with a PT work the best. Good luck!

    Comment #29 by KatieJune 23rd, 2008 at 4:12 pm

30. My very best friend’s daughter had to wear a helmet to correct her flat spot on her head. She no longer wears the helmet and you can’t even tell she ever had a problem.

    The helmet was a bit of a pain. It made her head sweat a lot and it didn’t really end up smelling that great even though they cleaned it all the time. One of the hardest things for my friend was the fact that people would sometimes stare and act as though the child had some kind of mental problem.

    That said, my friend says she would do it again in a heartbeat. Her daughter won’t even remember wearing the helmet, but she’ll always be happy that her head looks normal.

    http://honey-mommy.blogspot.com

    Comment #30 by Honey MommyJune 23rd, 2008 at 5:12 pm

31. My daughter had a slight problem and your baby’s case sounds more severe. My baby was the bottom twin and I’m sure had a lot of pressure on her poor little head and neck. She held her head to one side and her head was slightly disformed compared to her round headed twin brohter. I started researching the Helmets and I heard great to no don’t ever use one. Our doctor wouldn’t refer us out either and I felt like the sooner I got on the problem the better. I however was able to get her into a chiropractor when she was 4 months old. He was able to treat her and help her straighten her head to hold it upright. She is now 4 and you wouldn’t know she ever had a problem. I take all my kids to the Chiropractor on a regular basis now all because of her. All 5 seem to stay healthy during cold and flu season compared to their friends. My other twin boy had severe asma type symtoms when he was a baby. I started taking him to the Chiropractor at the same time and he was always so much better afterwards. We haven’t had an episode in over a year. In fact if any of them do start to get sick I take them there for adjustments and usually there illness goes away before I ever need to take them to the doctor. It has saved me wasting money on antibotics and they truly start to feel better quicker. Not to say we don’t go to the Doctor but, I think we have a happy medium that works for us. Just my experience and my advice is to go with your gut and second profesional opinions don’t hurt if you are unsettled about any problem your child has. Good Luck…I know it isn’t the easiest thing when you want to do what’s best for your child and your not sure which way to go.

    Comment #31 by StaceyJune 23rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm

32. Just going to add my un educated “amen!” to tummy time and other exercises, and keeping babies out of the swing, car seat and other helpful holders as much as possible. Also allowing baby to use their hands and mouth as much as possible to explore. It’s hard to listen to a frustrated baby, but let them exercise for ten minutes at a time before picking them up to sooth.

    On a different note: We had a gal in our SEclass who had severe disabilities with her small motor skills. Turns out, her mom worried and gave her pureed food much longer than necessary, delaying or skipping an important part of her neurological development. (who knew?) Odd therapy, but true and successful, her neurologist suggested bubble gum or other chewy food to chomp on during writing and drawing groups. It took six months, we gave her stale red licorice, but her small motor skills improved like gang busters!

    You never know!

    Good luck with your little one! It sounds like you’re getting sound advice!

    Comment #32 by s'meeJune 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm

33. I’m going to wait a couple days, and then call the doctor. All this talk about neck muscles and coordination has sparked another thought. He coughs and chokes a lot while he’s nursing. I’m going to keep track for a day or so and see if he coughs more often on one side than the other. I wonder if he has trouble swallowing. I don’t remember my first baby coughing and choking several times a day during feedings.

    I also took this info, googled it, and found several very helpful websites. The more I’m reading, the more it sounds like he does have a real problem.

    pmom - thanks especially. I’ll get him in to the doctor and ask for a recommendation soon. He’s 2 1/2 months right now. I don’t know what exercises to do at all. The nurse just said to turn his head to the left. He arches his back and twists his torso left when I do that, so I’m not sure how much good that’s doing him.

    Comment #33 by MelindaJune 23rd, 2008 at 7:21 pm

34. Hi, my son, who is now 4 1/2 wore a DOC band for about 6 months when he was around a year, and I agree with commenter #4’s comment about getting it done early. The earlier the better because their bones are still soft enough to shape. But it sounds like you little baby is still under 1. My son ALSO suffered from a belly button hernia and they just fixed it in the spring. It never caused him problems or trouble so the nurse was right. My son had very mild torticollis but he was also born with the bones in his head fusing together pre-maturely and had to do surgery on it when he was a year. The surgery had nothing to do with the torticollis, but after a month or so from the surgery, they decided they would put the DOC band on to see if they could get the head shape a bit better (in addition to fixing the torticollis). It did help him, but you should maybe look into it because the cost can be potentially very expensive. If you use toys to get him to look the other way from the side he perfers, it will help. Also, when you put him in his crib, switch sides. I know my little guy liked to look outside of the crib, so I switched what end he was in so he was forced to turn his head to look out of the crib. Good luck.

    Comment #34 by MandyJune 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 pm

35. My youngest has Down Syndrome and just turned three months old. I noticed her head and mentioned it to the dr..but she didn’t seem too concerned. At our first physical therapy appointment (for the DS stuff) they saw it and immediatly diagnosed it. We are doing similar excercises anyway, but I am glad to know that I am not the only one who’s dr. seemed a little complaciant about it…

    The things we learn, huh?

    Comment #35 by bekJune 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 pm

36. My son always laid only to one side. We tried making him sleep with his head the other direction, switched the crib, etc. but nothing worked. His muscles were fine, so he didn’t need to do any exercises. He was just basically stubborn and had a STRONG preference for one side. He wasn’t in swings or car seats much as he hated them as well (he had strong preferences and a stubborn streak from birth) and he had lots of tummy time - so, just know that this can occur regardless. His head was very flat, but somewhat hard to notice because he had so much hair.

    So, at our doctor’s recommendation we got him a helmet. The insurance paid for it fully so it seemed like we might as well do it. He wore the helmet from 5 months to like 10 months. The improvement was most dramatic in the first couple months and we saw no improvement over the last couple months so we finally told the doctor (orthotist) that we were done. (He was having major issues with solids, so we only wanted to deal with one specialist at a time). I thought the helmet was a BIG pain honestly, and our son has never slept very well since then, but I think partially that is because he is not a great sleeper. I think it also made bonding a little harder because he had this huge helmet on his head and I couldn’t touch his hair or his face as much as I would have liked. But it definitely improved the head shape. Of course, my husband says he has a flat head and he’s just fine. For my son, it really was mostly cosmetic and I am still on the fence as to whether it was worth all the trouble and lost sleep. But if he ever goes bald, I am sure he will thank us.

    Comment #36 by AmandaJune 24th, 2008 at 5:24 am

37. Oh, also it was not the back of the head, but the side that was flat for my son as well. I remember also that the doctor said the longer you wait, the more out of alignment the ears will get and also some movement of the eyes, I think. And that can not be fixed with a helmet. So, really, as soon as possible (like by four months) is probably best. If you want to do this, you really shouldn’t wait until he is older to see if it’s going to clear up on its own if the flattening is very severe. It won’t.

    Comment #37 by AmandaJune 24th, 2008 at 6:44 am

38. Melinda - My son is 4 months old. I will definitely let you know what the doctor says tomorrow.

    Good luck to you. I understand how scary and difficult it is to make these decisions. We’ll send up some prayers for you and your little one!

    Comment #38 by JacyJune 24th, 2008 at 8:56 am

39. I just got 90 seconds of a physical therapist’s time. When my dr’s office put me on hold, I called a PT to ask for info. The PT said he had a handout with exercise diagrams on it that I could have, so we went over.

    The PT said that offhand, he would say my son doesn’t have “true” torticollis. In true torticollis, when the baby looks right, his chin is tipped up and he’s trying to look left. When my baby looks right, and his chin is down and his eyes are facing the right way. He did say there was definitely something wrong with his neck muscles, even if it wasn’t true torticollis.

    I see that ‘true’ torticollis posture when he’s lying down, where is chin is up and it looks like he’s looking the opposite direction. But the PT didn’t see him lying down. I had taken him out of his car seat, so he was propped up on my lap.

    The PT did say he had positional plagiocephaly. But no one considers a helmet until they’ve done at least two months of in-home exercises. I can start those now.

    Then the guy who had an appt came in, so that’s all I got.

    I went back and looked at the million photos we took just after he was born. His plagiocephaly is definitely worse now than it was at birth. How sad.

    Comment #39 by MelindaJune 24th, 2008 at 11:50 am

40. You may want to look into chiropractic treatements or cranial sacral treatments, it could be related to some tweaking of the neck at birth and an adjustment might help to aid in helping resolve the problem. I would still do the exercises, etc. But this might be a good step to look into! Just pick a care provider who works with children.

    Comment #40 by SheridanJune 24th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

41. You may want to look into chiropractic treatements or cranial sacral treatments, it could be related to some tweaking of the neck at birth and an adjustment might help to aid in helping resolve the problem. I would still do the exercises, etc. But this might be a good step to look into! Just pick a care provider who works with children.

    Comment #41 by SheridanJune 24th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

42. MELINDA!!! My son is 6 mos. this week and he sounds identical to your case! He has plagiocephaly on one side of the head, plus torticollis. Ugh. Our ped gave us some stretches first (2 mo check up) and it wasn’t better in a few mos. So I got a referral to a pediatric PT who also does cranial sacral therapy… she told us the stretches were doing more harm, then gave us other exercises.

    My little guy did a lot of choking and coughing when he ate also. In fact, he started doing it AGAIN this afternoon. The PT said ‘aspiration’, but I work as an SLP, so that didn’t match up with the symptoms (if it was aspiration, there would have been fevers and weight loss… he did neither).

    The PT said that his muscles are tight and he needs to learn to relax. This makes sense on the feeding thing with coughing and whatnot.

    We are still trying to figure things out with our little guy. I seemed to get less cough/choke when he was well supported during feeding. But. Then, we switched to soy formula and his cough cleared up rather quickly… so we think maybe he has a milk allergy mixed in with this all, which would account for his 9 day NICU stay for pneumonia, cough/choke stuff, and wheezy asthma like features.

    *sigh* Sometimes motherhood just kills me. I still feel like I’m missing something terribly important with this child and I don’t want to overlook…

    My advice, get into the early intervention and get started immediately with PT… the cranial sacral therapy… is like voodoo. Not any good research to back it up, but it really works in some cases (I’m on the fence as you can tell). I will mention, some PTs who work with early intervention can expedite you getting in and set up for services. What state are you in?

    Comment #42 by hayngrlJune 25th, 2008 at 11:28 pm

43. Melinda,

    We went to the pediatric plastic surgeon at Primary’s yesterday afternoon. He said our son definitely has plagiocephaly, but no other related issues. His office doesn’t put any baby younger than 6 months in a helmet, instead they told us to do everything we could to keep him from resting on that side of his head. This includes rolling up a towel or blanket underneath one side of him (the side where the flattening is) whenever we lay him down. It forces him to let his head rest on the other side. He also suggested as much tummy time as our boy can tolerate.

    We do have the prescription for the helmet should he still need it at 6 months. He also said that if we did need the helmet, it should only be for about 6 weeks. If we wait until he is 12 months old, he would need the helmet for about 12 weeks.

    I hope this helps.
    Jacy

    Comment #43 by JacyJune 26th, 2008 at 6:02 am

44. I am sorry I haven’t read everything, but please get second and third opinions. I love my pediatrician but he didn’t think my baby had a problem - he told me to trust my mommy instincts more than the papers on his wall (diplomas) and I took her to a children’s hospital to see a craniofacial expert. One of her soft spots had fused too early and it was a really rare type - she needed major surgery and a helmet wouldn’t do the trick. If you wait too long it is irreversable with many things. I hope you only need a helmet - they are not bad at all. My dd was diagnosed at 4 months but I knew something was up at 3. Surgery was at 8 months. If you end up with surgery, email me and I will walk you through it. Good luck!

    Comment #44 by RubiaJune 26th, 2008 at 8:57 am

45. Wow. Hayngirl, your comment about exercises doing more harm is scary. Maybe I need more than 90 seconds with a physical therapist to make sure I’m doing this right. I’m in Utah.

    Jacy - I’m so happy your son doesn’t need surgery! I’m also trying rolled up towels to keep my baby off his favorite spot. I also bought a really big sponge (three inches thick) and cut out a head-sized hole to keep him from lying on his right side. I put him on it for his diaper change, and he couldn’t look right! I cut down the left side, so he could turn to the left, but he just stayed right on the back of his head. I’m not sure I’d use it when he’s sleeping, but I will use it when he’s awake. I wouldn’t mind if the back of his head flattened out some, as it sticks out pretty far.

    My boy gets lots of tummy time now. I’ve got a boppy, and he can handle more tummy time when he’s draped over the boppy. We alternate between using the boppy and putting him flat on the floor on his tummy.

    Rubia - did your baby have a funny ridge on her head? My baby has a ridge on his skull, and I can’t remember what the nurse said about it.

    Comment #45 by MelindaJune 26th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

46. Hayngirl, did you notice your baby responding to the exercises? In the few days since I started actual stretching exercises, I’ve noticed a change. My baby never looked left - he looked right or straight ahead. But just this morning, he turned about 30 degrees left all on his own, and held his head there while he watched his brother play. His range of motion has increased, and that’s the goal.

    Comment #46 by MelindaJune 26th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

47. For the eating I would recommend an evaluation by a speech pathologist (make sure it is not a therapist but a pathologist). He/She can work on how the muscles move down the throat. I worked with one in Hayward CA that was awesome, but there might be one in your area. Early Start/Intervention should cover that as well. If you need more info, you are welcome to email me. The Speech Path would be doing “feeding therapy” not speech therapy. Also, an OT can do the feeding therapy, but they mostly work with the muscles and food “feeling” in the mouth. A PT, OT or Speech Path may also be able to talk to you about positioning during feedings to reduce the coughing.

    Comment #47 by KatieJune 26th, 2008 at 5:01 pm

48. Yep - ridge was there. I am in Utah too. When there is a ridge it can mean fusion of fontanels, but not always. Worth checking out for sure.

    Comment #48 by RubiaJune 27th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

49. I found a site which mentioned that the Pacific Northwest Indians, who reshaped the babies’ heads on purpose, stopped their efforts between 6 and 8 months of age, because they found that by that time the deformation would then be permanent. I think it’s time that the doctors who keep saying the babies’ heads will round out, when they are six months old, stop telling parents that.
    I am very concerned about my fraternal grandsons, who were 10 weeks premature. They may have been born with torticollis, which the parents are willing to have treated, and work with the therapy. However, the parents are not convinced that the helmets are needed, and the twins are now at the corrective age of 8 1/2 months old! I truly believe this will cause all the of usual problems that follow, plus the problem with balance due to lopsided weight of the heads.
    They have had craniosynostosis ruled out.

    Comment #49 by Joan KwasiborskiSeptember 20th, 2008 at 9:58 pm

50. my son is 5 months old and is going to get fitted for his helmet tomorrow, im getting a little scared now that its so close, his dr said he had torticollis at 2 months old, he goes to physical theropy 2x a weeek and we do the streches throughout the day his head is flat, his jaw is out of alignment and his trunk is the other way its a mess but i just keep telling myself it can always be worse so hang in there

    Comment #50 by ajOctober 7th, 2008 at 8:52 pm

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