So torn (edited)..clicky poll..

bobcatsteph · July 2009

Check out my latest blog entry about Caroline's flat head (link in siggy). DH and I are very torn about what to do. I would like to know what your opinions are.

I will add that the cost is $3600 and if insurance covers any of it, it will be very little. Money is not the reason that we would or wouldn't get the helmet but I wanted to throw that out there.

ETA: The reason why we're torn about whether or not to go with the band is because the company we had the evaluation with is making money off of the bands. They told me she had a moderate case and I did some research with the numbers she gave me and most of the places I've looked have shown those numbers to only be a mild case. This is why we would want a second opinion either way.[Poll]

joyco · July 2009

you know what I think. But not because she would be made fun of, just because if I could spare the $$, I'd want her to have the best head she could have!

The insurance lady told us that insurance usually covered about $3000 of it, what insurance do you have?

bobcatsteph · July 2009

We have BCBS and from the research I've done they usually never cover that much. It seems like they usually reject the claim or only give around $1000.

mcurban · July 2009

I voted "other." I wouldn't do it b/c of the potential of her being teased by peers; I would do it b/c I (personally) wouldn't want a flat head and don't think my child would, either.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

mcurban:
I voted "other." I wouldn't do it b/c of the potential of her being teased by peers; I would do it b/c I (personally) wouldn't want a flat head and don't think my child would, either.

Yeah, I think that was a bad choice of an explanation for 'yes'

mcurban · July 2009

LOL- nah- peer pressure IS a big deal, so I think it is something to consider. But, in this case, I don't think there will be a lot of teasing going on, especially w/ the potential of her having long hair.

2H2L · July 2009

I voted wait and talk to the pedi again. From the pictures, her head doesn't look that flat to me in the back (when I compare to the 2nd to last pic of Ocho on my facebook, I didn't see much difference at all). Do you feel like you can trust your pedi more than the CT people? If it were me, I'd talk to the pedi again or get a second opinion, just to be sure.

daisybride1 · July 2009

I think her head looks totally fine. I voted to not worry about it.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

2H2L:
I voted wait and talk to the pedi again. From the pictures, her head doesn't look that flat to me in the back (when I compare to the 2nd to last pic of Ocho on my facebook, I didn't see much difference at all). Do you feel like you can trust your pedi more than the CT people? If it were me, I'd talk to the pedi again or get a second opinion, just to be sure.

That's what is making this so difficult. From my research I have found that the AAP is pretty anti-band and most pedis seem to think things will round out on their own. However, a lot of the research on the pro-band websites says that heads won't round out on their own and that pedis are "old fashioned" when it comes to treating plagiocephaly.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

daisybride1:
I think her head looks totally fine. I voted to not worry about it.

That's why I wonder how noticeable it really is. If I wouldn't have started doing research, I would have just thought that was her head shape you know?

FireChiefsBride · July 2009

Is there any non-biased Dr you can see for a second opinion?

bobcatsteph · July 2009

FireChiefsBride:
Is there any non-biased Dr you can see for a second opinion?

I'm not sure, that's what I was going to ask my pedi about. I think CT is pretty much the only game in town for the bands but I'm going to see who else we can talk to. Of course my pedi is on vacation for 2 weeks.

ndluvsrk · July 2009

2H2L:
I voted wait and talk to the pedi again. From the pictures, her head doesn't look that flat to me in the back .. I'd talk to the pedi again or get a second opinion, just to be sure.

Ditto this.

~NDK~

jml5q · July 2009

bobcatsteph:
daisybride1:
I think her head looks totally fine. I voted to not worry about it.

That's why I wonder how noticeable it really is. If I wouldn't have started doing research, I would have just thought that was her head shape you know?

I do think it's noticeable, it looks a little flat to me. I would definitely try to get a second opinion though and talk to your pedi, as i would with any diagnosis like that. A little boy in dd's daycare class just got out of his helment and it definintely made a difference.

fjaril · July 2009

i didn't see where her head was flat at all, but it's a picture so it could be hard to tell. I'd see if you can see another pedi in the office maybe?

Duckie07 · July 2009

ndluvsrk:
2H2L:
I voted wait and talk to the pedi again. From the pictures, her head doesn't look that flat to me in the back .. I'd talk to the pedi again or get a second opinion, just to be sure.
Ditto this.
~NDK~

Double ditto! My DD's head seems flatter (esp. on one side) than yours. Yes, I've been worried about it being flat and that's one of the questions I have for our next appt. That being said, I am very weary of this company as it does seem to be a money-making thing to me. Something just doesn't feel right about this company. I voted for option 3.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

fjaril:

i didn't see where her head was flat at all, but it's a picture so it could be hard to tell. I'd see if you can see another pedi in the office maybe?

I talked to the other pedi in the office yesterday (there are only two of them) and she said to just wait for the 4 month appt in 2 weeks so that's where we are right now. They like to start the band between 4 and 6 months so we still have some time.

MrsH07 · July 2009

Did you go to Cranial Technologies? We had to take DS there. They are awful. They told us that DS's head would never get better and the flat head could possibly cause all these problems in the future. They Physical Therapist had my hysterically crying. After the appt. I talked with a couple of my cousins- one is a Physical Therapist who has 5 children of her own, another is a plastic surgeon and another is an Orthopaedic surgeon. All three of them are very skeptical of the Cranial band. They all told me that DS's head will round out as long as we keep him off of it.

So, I told the Pediatrician all this and she sent us to a Cranialfacial Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon to get a second opinion. He said that DS does not need the band and to keep doing these exercises with him to keep he neck muscles stretched out.

Also, We have stopped swaddling DS and he now always either sleeps on his side or his belly (he has started doing this on his own.) It has been about 1 1/2 months since we went to Cranial Technologies and they told us his head would not round out on its own and you would be amazed if you saw the improvement in his head. It is not completely round yet, but it is looking so much better! And the plastic surgeon said it will continue to get better once he is crawling. The main thing is to ** keep her off her head** Dont leave her in the carseat, dont leave her in the swing, dont leave her in the bouncer.** I know this is hard and I had to carry him around pretty much all day in a carrier, but now he plays in his jumper a lot and has a bumbo seat which he loves.

Dont forget- these cranial places are the ones who manufacture the bands so of course they are going to scare you into getting one. They called me every week for a month to see when I was ready to set up his appt. and finally I told them that I was getting a second opinion and they were shocked. Sorry, but DH and I dont have $3,000 to spare if it is not medically necessary.

Let me know if you have any other questions... you can email me at ssholm216 at hotmail

** I can give you the plastic surgeons name and number if you would like. I definitely trust a surgeon before I trust Cranial Technologies.** Oh, and the plastic surgeon said that there is another company in Austin who does the cranial bands who charge a lot less than Cranial Technologies.

mlf625 · July 2009

As someone who has flattening on the back of my head- it's never bothered me OR been noticed by anyone who isn't feeling up my scalp. ?I think I'd feel differently with a boy (since they usually have much shorter hair) but as a girl, my hair always covered my head so nobody ever notices.

Of course, I'd take what the pedis say into consideration, but if it were my baby I'd probably lean towards not doing it.?

Emer · July 2009

I voted yes. I know very little about the whole thing, though. Looking at the pictures in your blog, I notice it more in the picture further down where she is face to face with the other baby. There is just a difference in the way the head rounds down to the neck. I think she would be totally fine if that is the shape of her head, but I also know some pedi's feel there are risks to having a flat spot and that it should be corrected. I would certainly get a second opinion, even if it's just another pedi from your office.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

Mrs.H, yes, we went to CT. I'm glad to hear that your DS's head is rounding out on it's own. Yeah, we're finished with the swing and bouncer now and we told her daycare to keep her off of her back unless she is sleeping. She spends a lot of time in her Jumperoo, Bumbo and Bjorn now. CT also told us that her head would not fix itsself on its own. Could you please send me the info for the place you went for the 2nd opinion? stephaniemata82 at gmail dot com.

Emer..that playdate is what led us to go ahead and get the evaluation done. We noticed that the other baby's head was much rounder that DD's. The other baby was able to lift her head at 1 week! DD's hair swirl thing really accentuates the flatness right now also.

Even CT told us that DD's condition is not the kind of flatness (because it's straight across the back and not on only one side) or serious enough to cause any issues in the future. She has no facial assymetry or anything like that.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

mlf625:

As someone who has flattening on the back of my head- it's never bothered me OR been noticed by anyone who isn't feeling up my scalp. I think I'd feel differently with a boy (since they usually have much shorter hair) but as a girl, my hair always covered my head so nobody ever notices.

Thanks for that insight! I've googled to find pictures of older children/adults with flat heads to see what it would look like and haven't had any luck. I don't know who would take a picture of it and put it on the Internet anyway.

MrsH07 · July 2009

YGM

AustinMimi · July 2009

FWIW, I have a friend whose son got one recently and he is over a year old. I could be wrong, but it might be worth seeing if it will correct itself over time. My friend's DS's head did not correct itself, so that's why they went with the band. Also, I don't think her head looks that flat or abnormal in any way. Also, ditto pp who said it would be more worth it if she were a he since boys have more noticeable head shapes w/ the short hair.

joyco · July 2009

MrsH07:
Did you go to Cranial Technologies? We had to take DS there. They are awful. They told us that DS's head would never get better and the flat head could possibly cause all these problems in the future. They Physical Therapist had my hysterically crying. After the appt. I talked with a couple of my cousins- one is a Physical Therapist who has 5 children of her own, another is a plastic surgeon and another is an Orthopaedic surgeon. All three of them are very skeptical of the Cranial band. They all told me that DS's head will round out as long as we keep him off of it.
Dont forget- these cranial places are the ones who manufacture the bands so of course they are going to scare you into getting one. They called me every week for a month to see when I was ready to set up his appt. and finally I told them that I was getting a second opinion and they were shocked. Sorry, but DH and I dont have $3,000 to spare if it is not medically necessary.

wow. just wow.

We had an excellent experience there so I take offense to your entire tirade, but whatever. Caroline is your kid, steph, the final say is up to you. FWIW, CT NEVER made us feel pressure or anything like that. And CT is highly respected in the plagiocephaly world.

MrsH07 · July 2009

JOYCO- Dont get me wrong- they were very kind to us and we loved the physical therapist there, but we felt like they pushed way too hard for DS to get the DOC band. If money wasnt an issue (our insurance does not pay one penny towards it) we probably would have been quicker to get the band, but I wanted a second opinion. And after getting the second opinion plus talking to Dr. relatives of mine I am pretty annoyed with CT that they go around scaring parents the way they do. They tell you that there is no way the babies head will round out on its own. Well it does. I left that place crying thinking I had failed my son. It has been 1 1/2 months about and I am amazed at the improvement on his head just by keeping him off of it.

Please dont take offense to what I said. I just have my opinion of the place. I do believe that I should have a right to my own opinion.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

joyco:
MrsH07:

Did you go to Cranial Technologies? We had to take DS there. They are awful. They told us that DS's head would never get better and the flat head could possibly cause all these problems in the future. They Physical Therapist had my hysterically crying. After the appt. I talked with a couple of my cousins- one is a Physical Therapist who has 5 children of her own, another is a plastic surgeon and another is an Orthopaedic surgeon. All three of them are very skeptical of the Cranial band. They all told me that DS's head will round out as long as we keep him off of it.

Dont forget- these cranial places are the ones who manufacture the bands so of course they are going to scare you into getting one. They called me every week for a month to see when I was ready to set up his appt. and finally I told them that I was getting a second opinion and they were shocked. Sorry, but DH and I dont have $3,000 to spare if it is not medically necessary.

wow. just wow.

We had an excellent experience there so I take offense to your entire tirade, but whatever. Caroline is your kid, steph, the final say is up to you. FWIW, CT NEVER made us feel pressure or anything like that. And CT is highly respected in the plagiocephaly world.

They were very nice at CT but I was skeptical going into it (you know that). I think our situations are different. If there was assymetry in DD's face and we were dealing with tort, it would be a much easier decision. Even the PT at CT told us it was pretty much just a cosmetic issue in our case.

The final say is definitely up to us, I just wanted some opinions from outsiders..especially about how bad/or good her head looks because we see her every day so it's hard for us to really tell.

I'm sure you will have great results with DS and, who knows, DD may end up in a band also.

Abrooks · July 2009

My two cents is not to get the band. DD had a flat area on the back of her head at that age - and it was totally noticable. My pedi at the time even mentioned we might want to try a band. But everything I'd read said it's totally common b/c of babies sleeping on their backs and that it will round out. DD is 2.5 and her head is totally normal. There is a slightly flatter spot that is small but is not even slightly noticeable unless you are rubbing your hands on her head. How many kids do you see walk around today where you think, "woa - flat head!" And most kids do not wear a band.

Kim777 · July 2009

Rhett's head looked a lot like Caroline's at that age. Our pedi said it was mild and that they don't typically refer unless there is asymmetry. She said it was very likely to correct on its own once he was sitting up consistently - and it did. I am very glad that we didn't spend that money just for it to correct on its own. Now, if it had been severe or had persisted instead of getting better after he was consistently off of his back, then that would have been another story! I think I would take a wait and see approach for a bit longer.

Emer · July 2009

bobcatsteph:

Even CT told us that DD's condition is not the kind of flatness (because it's straight across the back and not on only one side) or serious enough to cause any issues in the future. She has no facial assymetry or anything like that.

So, is it just cosmetic? I might change my opinion. Although, from what I've read, it doesn't seem to bother the baby much. I don't know, I can see why it's a hard decision.

bobcatsteph · July 2009

Emer:
bobcatsteph:

Even CT told us that DD's condition is not the kind of flatness (because it's straight across the back and not on only one side) or serious enough to cause any issues in the future. She has no facial assymetry or anything like that.

So, is it just cosmetic? I might change my opinion. Although, from what I've read, it doesn't seem to bother the baby much. I don't know, I can see why it's a hard decision.

Yes, in her case it's purely cosmetic. They did say it doesn't bother the baby but if it will probably round out by itsself, we could save the $3600 and spend it on something else.

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