plagiocephaly and helmets??

Stefanie6743

we just got back from seeing an orthopedist.  They took all the measurements of lo's head.  He measured 7mm, which is considered moderate.  The orthopedist said since lo's head is almost between mild and moderate, that it would be a personal decision whether to helmet or not.  I am pretty upset today.  I had talked with lo's pedi about this when he was 6 months and the pedi said it was fine.  Now here we are at 9 months, and he should get a helmet.  I feel like I should have pushed more when lo was younger to get the helmet, feel like I have failed him and didn't reposition enough.  ughhh...I guess I'm just really upset and wondering if anyone is in the same boat?  Has anyone had similar measurements??  did you helmet or not?  Any advise is appreciated, TIA!

ASmallWonder

I don't remember our number but we had a similar story.  The thing is, to a pedi (who is not a specialist) they aren't overly concerned if the shape isn't causing physical damage (like an asymmetrical face or brain issues).  What you've got is what we've got - a purely cosmetic situation.  Quinn's head will never fix itself but it's not so severe that we decided to go with a helmet.  The good news is that you've got options now if that's what you decide to do.  Don't beat yourself up.  Flat heads are so common because of how they sleep and you can only do so much re-positioning.

SLaBM2B

Hey Girl! Don't be upset!!! I know it's your knee jerk reaction to be devastated and upset with yourself, but you did NOT fail.  Babies heads are SO soft and sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. 

Radley wore a helmet for exactly 12 weeks. We just had his taken off last Wednesday.  I am not exactly sure what his measurements were, but I can say that the one side of his head protruded a few cm before we got the helmet, and now it's at 1.5mm on the right side (we chose to take it off b/c it's unnoticeable).

The time goes by SO fast and I would highly recommend getting the helmet.  It's made such a huge difference.  You will be upset the first couple of weeks but after that it's just another accesory that your LO has to wear.

The baby won't even notice which is the best part, and, hello! head protection is kind of nice when they are learning to roll, walk, craw, ect.

Keep your chin up... it will all work out in the end and if you want to talk, I am here :-)

Stefanie6743

thanks so much ladies! @SLaBM2B I think I'm having a hard time deciding since I am really the only one that notices now bc lo has a lot of hair.  But I would be even more upset if it was noticeable when he is 5 and in school and getting picked on.  I guess I'm stressing the most about having to have it on ALL the time.  Did you ever just take it off for more than an hour??

 

SLaBM2B

@stefani6743 - I hate to admit to this but we probably kept it off for about 2-3 hours every day. We didn't stick to 23/7 because sometimes it wasnt feasible.  I also never let him wear it in front of our families.  My family is full of a bunch of d!ckheads and if one person would have made a rude comment, I would have landed in jail.  My husband's family is much more understanding but there is always that one uncle who may say some off handed remark, and again, landed me in jail, so I didn't take the chance.

The last 2 weeks he wore it less and less. He had croup and was running a fever a few nights so I didn't bother keeping it on over night. 

Are you in the FB group? If so, I will post the before and after scan over there so you can see the difference.

Stefanie6743

@SLaBM2B your fam sounds like my H's family.  that's another reason why I'm so nervous.  Sounds vain, but I don't want anyone to know he has to wear it.  I can hear the jokes coming already.  That's great to hear that you kept it off for a little each day and it still worked, bc 23 hours/day seems crazy. yes, I am on the FB group, I'd love to see the before and after   thank you so much

SLaBM2B

I will post it now :-)

 

Stefanie6743

yes, thank you so much @SLaBM2B  it is awesome to get some advice from someone who has been in my situation   @34blondie I am having a lot of different thoughts right now...kind of surprised bc everyone kept telling me I was crazy, his head is fine.  Well...yeah we could go without a helmet but he does qualify for one...sooo should I get the helmet and deal with the looks/people talking behind my back for a few months...or risk not fixing it and C having to deal with it forever??  I would never forgive myself if it was noticeable when he was older.  So I still have all of these thoughts in my head..but I did have them start the process of contacting my insurance company to see what they cover.  phew, that got long, sorry!