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Helmet Mamas...some questions

WhiteysWifeyWhiteysWifey member
in Success after IF
Hi Ladies,
 First off...I have no idea about the whole helmet thing (the hows and whys). My question is this DD#2 (triplet #3)'s head is very flat on the right side...it has gotten better, but really is quite obvious (it gives her a bit of a bug eyed look because of it). We've tried keeping her off of that side, repositioning her etc. She has no problem with hold her head up, moving it, or favoring one side. The only concern is the shape.

I've asked our Pedi about it and he says that she'll grow into it and it will reshape itself. I have no idea if that's true or not.

My question is this...is this something that a helmet would address? Is this what they're used for? At what ages are they typically in a helmet (E is now 4 months old)? Is she too old now? (her head is definitely not fused yet, she still has a rather large soft spot on top).

We go back to the pedi in June for their 6 month, and we also go the beginning of June back to the hospital they were born at for a 6month assessment. Should I push more about this before then?

Thanks so much for your insight ladies.
Wife. MoM {1G + BBG triplets}. DIY'er. Quilter. 

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Re: Helmet Mamas...some questions

  • JustaKidAtHeartJustaKidAtHeart
    It will round out some as they start to sit more and spend less time lying down BUT if it bothers you or you think it is changing her look then fight for it.  We first brought up the helmet for Owen at 4 months.  He got sick and at 5 mo when we were seen for his cold I insisted on the being see by the specialist.  The Pedi told me to keep him off that side, reposition, put interesting things on the crib on the side I wanted him to look, and even told us to roll a blanket to use as a neck roll to lift his head.  None of it worked for us and the bigger he got the more you could tell that his head was pushing forward (the back was flat and the front was bulging).  His helmet almost fixed it. Had we started sooner it would have completely fixed it but it took a long time to get through the insurance.   Yes the helmet is for the flat spot.  She is not to young or old for it.  They can wear them til the plates are fused and they have to be able to hold their heads up (at least this is what Hanger told us). 
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  • BRSaugust20BRSaugust20 member

    I noticed the flat spot early and brought it up at J's 2 month appointment. My pedi suggested stretching and repositioning but J also showed signs of torticollis. I pushed the issue because I didn't feel my pedi was being aggressive enough. I took J to private PT to help with the torticollis and pursued a helmet because I was starting to see some asymmetry in his face. 

     He wore his helmet from 5 to 8 months and I am so happy we did it.  

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  • WhiteysWifeyWhiteysWifey member
    Thanks ladies. E is definitely more of a preemie than her brothers...we're probably ok waiting the month until their 6 month eval with the specialist.

    I'll keep you posted.
    Wife. MoM {1G + BBG triplets}. DIY'er. Quilter. 

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  • armywife76armywife76 member
    Just a bit of advice from a mama that wishes she would have done it sooner. Long story short: by the time I finally got the docs to agree that DS could benefit from one, it took another month plus for fitting, insurance approval, etc., so he didn't get it on until 8 months old. Definitely not too late, but it required him to wear it for 5 months instead of 2 or 3 and we didn't get perfect correction (but it was MUCH better!) So glad we did it, just wished we'd done it sooner. My insurance paid for every bit of it, so really there wasn't a down-side to not getting it earlier. Definitely try aggressive positioning like you're doing in the meantime and good luck!
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  • etoyamaetoyama member
    imageWhiteysWifey:
    Hi Ladies,
     First off...I have no idea about the whole helmet thing (the hows and whys). My question is this DD#2 (triplet #3)'s head is very flat on the right side...it has gotten better, but really is quite obvious (it gives her a bit of a bug eyed look because of it). We've tried keeping her off of that side, repositioning her etc. She has no problem with hold her head up, moving it, or favoring one side. The only concern is the shape.

    I've asked our Pedi about it and he says that she'll grow into it and it will reshape itself.     I have no idea if that's true or not.

    My question is this...is this something that a helmet would address? Is this what they're used for? At what ages are they typically in a helmet (E is now 4 months old)? Is she too old now? (her head is definitely not fused yet, she still has a rather large soft spot on top).

    We go back to the pedi in June for their 6 month, and we also go the beginning of June back to the hospital they were born at for a 6month assessment. Should I push more about this before then?

    Thanks so much for your insight ladies.
    Most pedis will tell you this. Do not listen to them. While there is a chance it could round out on its own, there's no guarantee, and by waiting, you're losing precious time. Grace was 4 months when I demanded a referral to an ortho, and exactly 5 months when she got her helmet. In 10 weeks she made tremendous progress and it was due to being so young when ahe started treatment. We're now on our second helmet just to get things as close to perfect as possible. I have absolutely, positively no regrets, and I encourage you to seek treatment now. Good luck!
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  • JustaKidAtHeartJustaKidAtHeart

    imagearmywife76:
    Just a bit of advice from a mama that wishes she would have done it sooner. Long story short: by the time I finally got the docs to agree that DS could benefit from one, it took another month plus for fitting, insurance approval, etc., so he didn't get it on until 8 months old. Definitely not too late, but it required him to wear it for 5 months instead of 2 or 3 and we didn't get perfect correction (but it was MUCH better!) So glad we did it, just wished we'd done it sooner. My insurance paid for every bit of it, so really there wasn't a down-side to not getting it earlier. Definitely try aggressive positioning like you're doing in the meantime and good luck!

     

    This was us too and he wore it til the day before his first birthday.  I can still see a flat spot but he doesnt have the forehead pushed out.  We could have gotten much better and faster results if I had pushed for it sooner.

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  • esperanza123esperanza123
    DD had brachycephaly (flattening in the back). Our pedi said it was mild and we should wait. We didn't. We had her fitted for a DOC band by 5 mos old and she wore it for 8 weeks. We paid out of pocket and have no regrets. Her head isn't perfect but much better. Now it's kinda flat on her left side since she prefers to sleep on her left (and I was worried the back would get flatter after the helmet!)
    Sept. 2010: IVF #1= BFP; May 2012: FET #1= blighted ovum, D&C; FET #2= ?? Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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  • itsmevkbitsmevkb member

    My son had an obvious flat spot on the right side of his head at his 3 month appointment.  Our pedi recommended physical therapy for torticollis (he would only turn his head to the right and had some kind of muscle issue turning to the left) and keeping him off his back as much as possible with the hopes it would fix itself.  Although the physical therapy and increased tummy time did help somewhat, it didn't fix things and so by five months we were talking about getting him a helmet.

    I think it was fine for us to wait as I would have been thrilled had the other options worked for him.  But, at some point you just know it's not getting any better and for us we moved to the helmet when his ears started being out of alignment. 

    There is a place by us that does free evaluations so perhaps there is somewhere by you that does them for free as well. 

    Kelly, Mom to Christopher Shannon 9.27.06, Catherine Quinn 2.24.09, Trey Barton lost on 12.28.09, Therese Barton lost on 6.10.10, Joseph Sullivan 7.23.11, and our latest, Victoria Maren 11.15.12

    Secondary infertility success with IVF, then two losses, one at 14 weeks and one at 10 weeks, then success with IUI and then just pure, crazy luck.  Expecting our fifth in May as the result of a FET.

    This Cluttered Life

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  • JenCWJenCW member
    If it were me, I wouldn't wait.  Our triplet B, had torticollis (he was smashed next to my rib cage), and all the repositioning in the world was not going to fix his asymmetry.  It was absolutely necessary to get him physical therapy and a helmet.  He ended up also needing surgery to release the tension in his sternocleidomastoid.  While his case was severe, and may be not be at all indicative of what your LO might need, I would still get her checked out sooner rather than later by a specialist. It never hurts to get things looked, at treated if necessary, early.  
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  • njohnson1972njohnson1972 member
    I have to tell you, all this helmet talk has me constantly staring at Jack's head now.  I think it is fine, but maybe I am missing something??  His head is long and it has been since birth.  He never had that big, round baby head.  But maybe it isn't really long, but has flat spots on each side???  See, now I am paranoid! Crying
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