DOC band/Hanger Helmet?

Lindsaywillo

Not sure if this is the correct board or if i should go to the month board but i posted there as well...

So our little guy needs a helmet, guess he's got a flat head that isn't going to round out on it's own.  Does anyone have any info on either company?  We are looking at going through Hanger only because insurance is most likely going to cover it.  I would love to get him a DOC band since all the reviews I have read are positive and it seems like Hanger's reviews are mixed.  I would like to know if anyone is in the Wisconsin/Milwaukee area and has had any personal experiences with either company.  The orthotist we saw was Susan at Hanger.  Any info is helpful!!! Thanks!

Florak8

Not in your area but we were pleased with Hanger. Not sure what type of flattening your LO has. Ours was plagiocephaly and the Hanger helmet worked well. GL!

goldenleaves

We're not in your area and our hospital has its own helmet that's patented by one of the doctors. It worked great and our son didn't mind it at all!

emberlee3

I don't have specific info on those brands, like PP we used a special helmet designed by the craniofacial surgeon.  But I just wanted to say good luck!  We were very happy with the results and had no trouble with the helmet.

heedy07

Personally, I would go with Hanger if your insurance will cover it.  I think either option will give you the results you're looking for.  We are using Hanger, and Wellmark BC/BS of Iowa refuses to pay for any of it unless it is accompanied by surgery, which thankfully it isn't.  So, we are paying for the helmet out of pocket.  We had our measurements done on Monday, and his helmet should be arriving this week.

robynlesley

I went to both a Hanger clinic and Cranial Tech in Paramus NJ (DOC Band) and was  not impressed with what I was told at the time.  My son had severe brachycephaly and from all the research I did at the time, I wanted an active helmet (using mild pressure to keep his head from getting wider) and was told by the orthotist at Hanger that it was a passive device. So I went with the DOC Band and paid out-of-pocket (Hanger would have been covered). This was 2 years ago and you would never know DS wore two bands.

That being said...

I've heard positive things about Hanger too. There are two active plagiocephaly groups. One on Babycenter and one on Yahoo. Links below if you're interested.

https://community.babycenter.com/groups/a52465/plagiocephaly_support

https://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Plagiocephaly/

islelily

Sorry I am late to the post.  We went to two referrals -- Hanger and STAR Craniotechnologies.  We went with Hanger -- they offered the same helmet as STAR and had an office located 15 minutes away (as opposed to 1hr for STAR). Hanger accepted our insurance, but we needed to reach our deductible before they would cover it (which we hadn't) so we paid OOP.  

DS graduated from his helmet after 4 months (wore it from 7 to 11 months of age) with a 2mm asymmetry (started with 13mm).  DH and I still notice a difference every once and a while (like when looking in a mirror at DS), but it's still improving since he's more mobile and rarely on his back as well as his hair is growing in.

Good luck!