Facing the flattened head syndrome: The story of a mother
A terrible night that rocked my baby in my arms and heard her rhythmic breathing. I cupped my hands under the small head and cooed. Then I realized. Something was wrong. His head did not feel smooth and round as my babies were others. The shape Abigail's head somehow felt different in each hand. Abigail got up to get a closer look and make sure it was just a paranoid mother imagining things. Abigail was 3 months old at the time and no, I was imagining things!
Others may not notice this, but I realized the head was flat Abigail on the back, right. The face was round and curved, but the back of his head was flat. I was let go, or their ears were uneven, too? I went to my doctor in a panic and I explained what I saw. He examined it and tried to calm myself, but I was still nervous. Abigail said the head reshape itself same in a few months. He prescribed more tummy time and their position in the night.
I did what I told the doctor, but saw no improvement. I tried positioning her on her right side and then its position on its left side. I even bought a "Exer-saucer", so they would be motivated to play, while in vertical position. I heard her cry of frustration when placed in the stomach – not one of his favorite positions quickly learned. I did my best to keep your back. Nothing has changed.
I was scared and worried. Was everyone around me to take too lightly? I imagined my beautiful girl growing with a deformed head. If there was anything he could do to help my baby, I was willing to try.
Then my thoughts kicking professionals in. My two decades as an orthopedic supports and braces connection (no, not just for feet) taught me the wonders of the right brace or appliance, and most importantly, about my right to request a second opinion. I asked my pediatrician to refer me to a pediatric neurologist and quickly made an appointment.
Back to sleep: a warning to save lives
The neurologist, Dr. W., Abigail said she had a condition known as positional plagiocephaly. In other words, the bones of his skull had not the usual way, symmetrical. This was something that was very familiar as an orthopedist, but as the mother of a child with this diagnosis, I was surprised. Condition Abigail was a common problem with a simple solution.
First, a lesson in physiology: The skull feels like a tough large capacity, but did not start that way. The wisdom of Mother Nature restricts the skull bones join together to glide over each other in the birth canal. The fontanelles, or soft tissue in the head of a baby, is to label the bones together.
Since 1992, when National Institute of Health established the "Back to Sleep" campaign, the number of babies with positional plagiocephaly has increased. To prevent the syndrome of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), parents were instructed to turn the babies back to nap and night. In due course, cases of SIDS decreased by 38%. However, because babies who now spends more time on their backs, cases of positional plagiocephaly, or poor positional molding, rose by 70% over the same period.
Furthermore, 92 of the sleep support campaign coincided with the rise of portable safety seats used like baby carriers. Between the two babies were spending more and more time with his head on flat surfaces and skull bones of babies were soft paying the price.
Surprisingly, when the first wave of "Back to Sleep" was presented babies with a higher incidence of plagiocephaly doctors came to his scalpel rather than other measures. Children misdiagnosed as suffering from cranio-synostosis, a serious condition that occurs when the bones the skull fuse prematurely – the narrow minds do not work as they should. Hazardous four-hour surgery scheduled and carried out without solving the problem. The Children's Hospital of Denver, 215 children underwent surgery in a year. Once the correlation between sleep position and the molding position was made, the figures plummeted. Since then, surgeons at the hospital performed the surgery only a small fraction of that.
Baby Helmets Help
During the meeting Abigail neurologist, Dr. W. prescribed a special helmet, also known as a cranial remodeling orthosis. The helmet, made of ultra-lightweight plastic and other state of the art orthopedic materials, guides the baby's head in a controlled growth of a more rounded shape. To benefit from therapy, a baby has to wear the helmet 23 hours a day for 3 to 4 months.
After a week of wearing a helmet, covering the front and back of the head with an opening at the top, I could feel the head of Abigail back to normal. My relief made me want to shout the news to the four winds.
A Recipe for greater compassion
After meeting with dozens of onlookers, I realized that the condition was actually a very special gift for me. Because of my personal experience, I can now share real empathy with my patients and offer hard-earned, honest answers to their concerns.
After three months, Abigail did not have to wear a helmet more because his skull was considered "nice and round." Abigail's older now, and when they show pictures of people when she was a baby three months, you can not believe the difference. Plain and simple, plastic helmet done wonders.
Since then, I have many babies fit their helmets. I can relate to parents desperate for my own experience. During initial installation, I spend more time to calm parents nervous calm the baby! I am confident reassuring parents that the helmet works great because I know my own baby did so well with him.
What I wish I had known
We now offer the lessons I have learned from this experience, both as mother and an orthopedic specialist.
Talk your doctor … ask questions. Virtually every parent I have met who has a deformed child's head tells me that he realized immediately, but do not know where to turn. Your pediatrician or a pediatric neurologist is a good place to start. They have the answers! Do not wait. With the helmet therapy, time is of the essence.
Sure your doctor is accessible. When I make a helmet for a baby, give the parents of my cell phone number and explain that treating these children like mine; parents can contact me at any time during the "therapy" for any questions.
Choose an orthopedist with an office that is convenient. Because the baby's brain and skull almost double in size during the first two years of life, the helmet should be reviewed every 10 to 14 days and often adjusted. You want this to be an enjoyable and comfortable, not a nuisance.
The helmets look really nice: Some parents are very concerned about aesthetics the hull. For this reason, I think helmets with fun, colorful designs, such as bows and flowers for girls and trucks and planes for kids – on the surface the laminate.
Although scary to see that your baby has a head that looks great, is something that can be fixed. If the baby's head is flat or swollen on one side, has to be addressed immediately, the sooner the better. Take your baby to the pediatrician and explain your concerns and then prepared it for a helmet as soon as possible. Remember …. is a brief therapy for a result of a lifetime!
About the Author
Rochelle B. Silberman is an orthotist specializing in pediatrics. She’s been designing and fabricating orthopedic and neurological braces for over 25 years, which she offers through Splint Arts (Kidi-Splints). Splint Arts provides orthopedic appliances for baby
flat head syndrome
, also known as
positional plagiocephaly
, and other conditions. For more information, contact Ms. Silberman at Splint Arts at (718) 493-1611 or (516) 256-9306.
Foam skull mold #1
