Now that my baby wears a helmet...

etoyama · April 2012

I see kids with plagiocephaly and brachycephaly EVERYWHERE. Brachy especially (symmetrical flattening of back of head). I have to assume their parents just don't know, but I'm hyper aware of it! I can't stop staring at kids' heads during storytime. I realized yesterday that even with 3mm asymmetry, G had one of the most "normal" heads there. I'm such a weirdo.

LucyPevensie · April 2012

That will never go away! I still see it all the time too - wait 'til you go to the pool this summer... So much brachy out there. But you figure, it almost "normalizes" it - which comforts me as at our last measurement - Jack was at 5.9mm. You can no longer see his asymmetry on the back of his head - even with wet hair - whereas I see flatness on other kids with wet hair all the time. With Jack - the only real remaining asymmetry he has is on his forehead - one side is noticeably flatter (noticeable to ME, not others) on the front/left side of his head (the side where he had the bulge in the back.) And that eye is slightly higher than the other one - but it's very slight - and not noticeable even in pics, you wouldn't see it unless I pointed it out to you, and sometimes not even then.

I've had to work really hard on letting it go - and accepting this is where we are - and he's OK - and I'm OK - and this will not be an issue for him. I did NOT get a second helmet (I didn't know I needed one) when we should have - which is why my advice to you was DO IT - and know you did everything you could. You're doing a great job mama and your girl is beautiful! And if she's at 3mm - she's now in totally "normal" range!

ETA: Jack's last measurement was when he was 18 months old - and he had self corrected 1.1mm -- so I like to think he's 5 or less now. So I tell myself!

etoyama · April 2012

LucyPevensie:
That will never go away! I still see it all the time too - wait 'til you go to the pool this summer... So much brachy out there. But you figure, it almost "normalizes" it - which comforts me as at our last measurement - Jack was at 5.9mm. You can no longer see his asymmetry on the back of his head - even with wet hair - whereas I see flatness on other kids with wet hair all the time. With Jack - the only real remaining asymmetry he has is on his forehead - one side is noticeably flatter (noticeable to ME, not others) on the front/left side of his head (the side where he had the bulge in the back.) And that eye is slightly higher than the other one - but it's very slight - and not noticeable even in pics, you wouldn't see it unless I pointed it out to you, and sometimes not even then.
I've had to work really hard on letting it go - and accepting this is where we are - and he's OK - and I'm OK - and this will not be an issue for him. I did NOT get a second helmet (I didn't know I needed one) when we should have - which is why my advice to you was DO IT - and know you did everything you could. You're doing a great job mama and your girl is beautiful! And if she's at 3mm - she's now in totally "normal" range!
ETA: Jack's last measurement was when he was 18 months old - and he had self corrected 1.1mm -- so I like to think he's 5 or less now. So I tell myself!

L, thank you so much for all the guidance and support you've provided me on this issue! I read one of your posts when Grace was 2 weeks old and it is what prompted me to see treatment for her at such a young age. I attribute the success we've had to catching and treating her plagio early. I wouldn't have know to do this if it weren't for you, so THANK YOU!!! Oh, and I have seen the pictures you've posted of Jack here and he's a beautiful little boy! I don't see the asymmetry in his face at all

I wish you the best as you continue to work through letting go of your worries over his head.

itsmevkb · April 2012

Our youngest is in a helmet for plagiocephaly but our daughter had brachycephaly and we choose not to correct it as we were told it was not medically necessary as it wasn't a severe case. The older she's gotten the less I notice it (and the more her head has shaped itself) but I do sometimes wonder if her forehead wouldn't be quite so wide if we had gotten her a helmet. But, like you said, when you look around, everyone has a somewhat mis-shapen head so I try and keep that in mind. I don't think anyone else notices it but me...........and well, maybe you would!

Sully's plagio has much improved and his head has rounded out pretty nicely, although he still has some bumpiness on the left side of his head where the bones pushed out (his right side was flat). Thankfully, his ears are aligned now and I'm hoping the bumpiness gets taken care of over the next few weeks. His helmet will only really be beneficial for another few weeks.

I'm glad that G is looking more and more "normal."

JenCW · April 2012

I see it everywhere, too. Funny thing is, when my G was in his helmet, it seemed as if there were kids all around us that also had helmets. Now that we're past that phase I feel like I never see kids in helmets, but I see a ton of asymmetry. I guess it's kind of like when you get a certain kind of new car, and then you start noticing that car everywhere.

So glad that your G is getting so close to not needing the helmet anymore and having a "normal" head!

etoyama · April 2012

itsmevkb:
Our youngest is in a helmet for plagiocephaly but our daughter had brachycephaly and we choose not to correct it as we were told it was not medically necessary as it wasn't a severe case. The older she's gotten the less I notice it (and the more her head has shaped itself) but I do sometimes wonder if her forehead wouldn't be quite so wide if we had gotten her a helmet. But, like you said, when you look around, everyone has a somewhat mis-shapen head so I try and keep that in mind. I don't think anyone else notices it but me...........and well, maybe you would!

Sully's plagio has much improved and his head has rounded out pretty nicely, although he still has some bumpiness on the left side of his head where the bones pushed out (his right side was flat). Thankfully, his ears are aligned now and I'm hoping the bumpiness gets taken care of over the next few weeks. His helmet will only really be beneficial for another few weeks.

I'm glad that G is looking more and more "normal."

Glad to hear Sully's helmet is doing the trick!

etoyama · April 2012

JenCW:
I see it everywhere, too. Funny thing is, when my G was in his helmet, it seemed as if there were kids all around us that also had helmets. Now that we're past that phase I feel like I never see kids in helmets, but I see a ton of asymmetry. I guess it's kind of like when you get a certain kind of new car, and then you start noticing that car everywhere.
So glad that your G is getting so close to not needing the helmet anymore and having a "normal" head!

So true, Jen! I also feel like strangers are constantly telling me "my granddaughter/grandson wore one of those..."

mel72 · April 2012

I was just talking to my mom about this and it drives me nuts! I see it children and adults. While I am very happy w/ DS's results I still notice it in him from time to time and thats what really bothers me. But I remind myself that there is no perfectly normal head.

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