Do we really need a helmet?

Wifey xo · March 2014

My son's Doctor mentioned his head was flat at the back. Sleeping on his back, and perhaps not enough time on his tummy (we play a TON in his reclined seat) has resulted in the flattening. We realize this is more common since the back to sleep program, and have since been changing our play habits dramatically. The Doctor has sent us to have a consultation for a helmet tomorrow afternoon.

We are going to hear what they have to say, but are torn between getting on the helmet bandwagon, and letting it resolve itself with repositioning and better play habits. I will do what is best for my little guy, but I am not enthusiastic about this on him 23 hours a day, and do not think his head is in the severe category.

Anyone have this conversation with their Pediatrition? If so, what were your thoughts and feelings about it? If your child did wear one, what was the result, and how did the process go?

If you are lurking, feel free to give me your two cents.

daisy19782011 · March 2014

I am in the same boat and it looks like our kids are close in age! So one of my girl's heads is flat, but not all in the back if that makes sense. We think it is from her leaning on the side of her rock n play, so it is an un-even flattening, which I think is a bigger deal than just flat (but this is from online research). We go April 9, and if they say we need one, we will most likely do it. We have been working since her 2 month appt. on moving her around and she actually sleeps on her side a lot now, but she has had little improvement. her Dr. was kind of laughing and said, "you don't want her to be mad at ya'll when she gets older and has a flat head." I'm like you though and worry about the 23 hours in a day

and I worry she will hate it

Missa_g · March 2014

How old is your son? I'm mobile, sorry. My oldest twin wore a DOC band helmet from 8-12 months (6-10m adjusted). It was honestly one of the best, if not THE best, things we have done for our children. It was seriously nbd to him and my husband painted it to look like R2D2 so it looked really cool. I honestly think my kids will look back at pictures and my youngest will ask why he didn't get a cool hat too. His head was pretty flat and he had some forehead bulging with ears out of alignment. Now his shape is near perfect and no one can tell.

I would suggest having your son evaluated for torticollis to see if PT is needed. If you has tort then aggressive PT can dramatically help lessen the chances of needing a helmet. Feel free to ask me any questions.

ProfessorPedals825 · March 2014

Our pediatrician sent us to a specialist too. They don't recommend helmets until the baby is at least 6 months. By the time the specialist could see us, she was closer to 7-8 months old and by then was on her tummy all the time and even started sleeping on her tummy. They put her head in a scanner to get a 3-D image of the shape, and determined on the first visit that a helmet wasn't necessary for us. There are a couple ladies on this board that did have helmets for their LOs, and their experiences are stellar. Definitely not something to worry too much about. I hope they can chime in for reassurance. Good luck!

Missa_g · March 2014

@lauralew‌ and @TMaggie0424‌ also have older kids that had helmets.

martinimomma · March 2014

We will probablybe having an evaluation after we address her more presssing GI issues. From what I know and have disucssed with the pedi there are degrees of need for correction, so it is possible that your LOs is such that a bit of time and positioning will help it resolve enough on its own. Good luck!

KikiCohen · March 2014

When P was about a month old, we started to notice that the one side of his head was developing a flat spot. He had a really strong preference of looking to his left (he didn't have torticollis though). He was born with a low birth weight, so we had him evaluated by Early Intervention. At his evaluation, he was diagnosed with some gross motor issues and we've had weekly PT ever since.

Our pedi was never concerned. We mentioned his flat spot time after time and the pedi we saw for these well checks just said it would go away. We finally switched doctors (stayed at the same practice) and after seeing her, got him referred to specialists at a children's hospital. I'm not sure where you live, but we took P to Hershey Children's Hospital in Hershey, PA.

Anyway, he was evaluated by two different specialists and they told us that they didn't recommend helmets unless absolutely necessary for several reasons. Basically, kids that are helmeted wear them 23.5 hours a day. In some cases, this causes skin break down, hair loss, and skin break outs due to sweating. Also, helmets are a passive cure so they are just restricting the growth of the areas of the head while the flat spots "catch up". They also told us that longitudinal data shows that while there are clear differences in helmeted kids vs those who weren't helmeted at one year, these differences are gone at two years. So basically kids who don't get helmeted eventually catch up. They told us that the decision was ours, but that they didn't recommend a helmet.

This was a very, VERY difficult decision. We wanted to make sure that we did the right thing for P. Ultimately, we chose not to helmet him. He was making progress with PT and we felt that as his range of motion improved, so would his head shape. I should also point out that P doesn't have any facial asymmetry. Many times, kids with plagiocephaly develop this and if it's severe enough, that can warrant a helmet. After we made the decision, I often felt guilty about it. I wondered if at two years we would really see that things worked out. I knew we couldn't "go back" in time and change our minds. Well I can say now that I know we made the right choice. P is rarely on his back, no longer has a preference for his left, and his head shape is really starting to round out. Will his head shape ever be perfect? No, probably not, but no one has a perfectly shaped head.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk further! I understand what you're going through and I received a lot of priceless advice from a few ladies here as well as a few on my BMB and they really helped!

Wifey xo · March 2014

Daisy~ I'd like to hear how your consult went. PM me if you get a chance after you have decided

Missa_g~ He is 4 1/2 months. His head is also larger (and heavy), and the Doctor feels like he is a little behind in lifting it. Part of that is my inexperience, and have since been spending a lot of time with different and more physical play. Thanks for your input, and something tells me that DH will go with a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings theme if he is so inclined to decorate it!

andreahshields~ It is nice to hear it was not all about making money, and they actually said it was not needed. Perhaps some of my reluctance is because my last 2 years have been rough with all the procedures, shots, and bed rest I did to get him here and I did not want him to be miserable. Missa saying it was not a big deal is encouraging. Thanks!

daisy19782011 · March 2014

@Wifeyxo I will keep in touch!

Missa_g · March 2014

@Wifeyxo are you on FB? If so I would be happy to PM you my info and you can look through my pictures of J in his helmet. I really struggled with getting him the helmet and the fear that he would be miserable. Seeing pictures of other kids perfectly content in their helmet really helped ease my anxiety.

twotexans · March 2014

M has had some flattening on her right side. She also has mild tort. It has started to really improve once she started spending more tome upright. The bumbo and exersaucer are great for keeping her off of it. We also try to have her sit up when we are holding her, so she is not of the flat spot.

Our pedi is continuing to watch it, but does not usually send you for evaluations or treatment before 9 months.

Wifey xo · March 2014

Martinimomma~ Thanks, I am interested to know if he really does need It, or if better habits will help it resolve itself. We shall see tomorrow.

Kikicohen~ The words "facial asymmetry" was enough to spook DH into writing a check even if insurance covers nothing (We don't know yet). My son does have a slight bulge on his forehead, and the rest of his little face is perfect. Thanks for your input, I hope our consult tomorrow will help me decide. I am currently cynical, but really need to be open to what he really actually needs. On a side note, I was in Hershey PA in 2001, and remember it smelling like wonderful chocolate. Thank you.

Wifey xo · March 2014

Missa_g said:

@Wifeyxo are you on FB? If so I would be happy to PM you my info and you can look through my pictures of J in his helmet. I really struggled with getting him the helmet and the fear that he would be miserable. Seeing pictures of other kids perfectly content in their helmet really helped ease my anxiety.

The 14 year career before baby did not give me much free time, so I am a tad behind the times :-/ If there is another way to exchange photo's (email perhaps if you even have time for that), I would gladly give you my info.

twotexans · March 2014

We saw an improvement in symmetry fairly quickly, once she started spending more time off her head. She still has some flattening, so banding may still be in our future, but it already is so much better!

Missa_g · March 2014

Wifey xo said:

Missa_g said:

@Wifeyxo are you on FB? If so I would be happy to PM you my info and you can look through my pictures of J in his helmet. I really struggled with getting him the helmet and the fear that he would be miserable. Seeing pictures of other kids perfectly content in their helmet really helped ease my anxiety.

The 14 year career before baby did not give me much free time, so I am a tad behind the times :-/
If there is another way to exchange photo's (email perhaps if you even have time for that), I would gladly give you my info.

PM me your email and I'll do my best to send you a few photos within the next few days.

Wifey xo · March 2014

twotexans said:

M has had some flattening on her right side. She also has mild tort. It has started to really improve once she started spending more tome upright. The bumbo and exersaucer are great for keeping her off of it. We also try to have her sit up when we are holding her, so she is not of the flat spot. Our pedi is continuing to watch it, but does not usually send you for evaluations or treatment before 9 months.

I am also in TX and find the different protocol interesting since our Pedi said to get on it ASAP if we decide to do it. Tate is 4.5 months. We did just buy him an exersaucer a couple of days ago- hope it helps! We are now paranoid to let the back of his head touch anything.

Wifey xo · March 2014

Michbot12 said:

DD developed a flat spot on one side of her head due to IUGR and LBW. I think we started noticing it around 2 months. I brought it up to our pedi at our 2 month wellness appt and she did some basic stretches with her and said that she didn't feel it was a problem with the muscle, just a preference for one side. At that point we started repositioning. I will say I was obsessed with her head shape for several months. I took pictures every week to compare, etc. At the time we first noticed, you could see her forehead bulge on one side if you looked from the top at her head. As she was able to sit up and once she started sleeping on her stomach it improved a lot. Now she is a year and the only thing I notice when I wash her hair, her head isn't perfectly symmetrical in the back but that's it. We brought up helmeting to our pedi over and over again (as I said, I was obsessed) and she said that she doesn't generally recommend it and that in the cases of her patients, it has resolved over time. For us, basic repositioning and time took care of it.

I hope you get some definitive answers tomorrow at your appointment. I know when I was looking for information, it helped to see so many who had helmeted and were happy with their experience.

Thanks Mama, the different points of view are very helpful. Yes, DH and I are paranoid to let his head rest on anything now. If Tate could talk, he say "WTF people, I'm tired, let me rest for a minute!"

KikiCohen · March 2014

Wifey xo said:
Martinimomma~ Thanks, I am interested to know if he really does need It, or if better habits will help it resolve itself. We shall see tomorrow.
Kikicohen~ The words "facial asymmetry" was enough to spook DH into writing a check even if insurance covers nothing (We don't know yet). My son does have a slight bulge on his forehead, and the rest of his little face is perfect. Thanks for your input, I hope our consult tomorrow will help me decide. I am currently cynical, but really need to be open to what he really actually needs. On a side note, I was in Hershey PA in 2001, and remember it smelling like wonderful chocolate. Thank you.

Honestly I think if your LO was going to have any facial asymmetry, you would already notice. Like others have said, P had a slight bulge on his forehead but not for long.

lauralew · March 2014

Skipping responses...

We got a helmet for our son around four or five months. We were insanely lucky because our insurance covered it completely. If it hadn't, we were even more lucky to have family member to help cover the cost...because they are pricey. It was totally worth it to me. Has your little guy been assessed for torticollis? If he has tort, he will also need physical therapy to correct it.

We got some looks and questions, but for the most part people were polite and considerate. Just in case you're worried about looks, here is a super cute picture of Walter to sell the helmet.

ETA: UGH...no idea how to post pics any more... I'll try to figure it out.

lauralew · March 2014

Missa_g said:

@Wifeyxo are you on FB? If so I would be happy to PM you my info and you can look through my pictures of J in his helmet. I really struggled with getting him the helmet and the fear that he would be miserable. Seeing pictures of other kids perfectly content in their helmet really helped ease my anxiety.

J was SUPER cute in his helmet!!

lauralew · March 2014

Let's see if this works...

lauralew · March 2014

I think I figured it out! I'll try to post a before/after pic in a few minutes.

Wifey xo · March 2014

lauralew said:

Skipping responses...

We got a helmet for our son around four or five months. We were insanely lucky because our insurance covered it completely. If it hadn't, we were even more lucky to have family member to help cover the cost...because they are pricey. It was totally worth it to me. Has your little guy been assessed for torticollis? If he has tort, he will also need physical therapy to correct it.

We got some looks and questions, but for the most part people were polite and considerate. Just in case you're worried about looks, here is a super cute picture of Walter to sell the helmet.

ETA: UGH...no idea how to post pics any more... I'll try to figure it out.

Oh my! A lot of cuteness going on! Thanks for that. I am not worried at all about public curiosity, just concerned he will be pushed in a direction that is not really necessary for his case. I am very open, and this thread has been extremely helpful before the consult.

Wifey xo · March 2014

lauralew said:

I think I figured it out! I'll try to post a before/after pic in a few minutes.

The links worked on my iPad, just took me to tinypic site to view

super cute second time around too....

lauralew · March 2014

Before, he's in plaid. This is at 6m. So I guess we got it around 6m, not 5. After, he's 12m old, wearing a striped shirt...this was probably taken a month or so after we stopped wearing the helmet.

Wifey xo · March 2014

lauralew said:

Before, he's in plaid. This is at 6m. So I guess we got it around 6m, not 5. After, he's 12m old, wearing a striped shirt...this was probably taken a month or so after we stopped wearing the helmet.

Great result. Just showed DH, thanks again!

BootsOrHearts · March 2014

The insurance company I work for does NOT cover helmets because there is no medical evidence that it does anything other than correct a mild cosmetic issue. Basically they say there's no medical reason to do it.

ellebelle2384 · March 2014

Missa_g said:

I would suggest having your son evaluated for torticollis to see if PT is needed. If you has tort then aggressive PT can dramatically help lessen the chances of needing a helmet. Feel free to ask me any questions.

This exactly. I would definitely ask for a referral to a PT just to make sure everything else is checked out. Tort and plagiocephaly often go together. The PT will be the best person to talk to about these issues and give you ideas of things to do at home.

Wifey xo · March 2014

BootsOrHearts said:

The insurance company I work for does NOT cover helmets because there is no medical evidence that it does anything other than correct a mild cosmetic issue. Basically they say there's no medical reason to do it.

This is precisely why I was cynical. My Pedi said it may cost in the neighborhood of $3800 and if insurance does not pay for it, she did not recommend it. So does he really need it or not? Great input here to take with us tomorrow.

Wifey xo · March 2014

ellebelle2384 said:

Missa_g said:

I would suggest having your son evaluated for torticollis to see if PT is needed. If you has tort then aggressive PT can dramatically help lessen the chances of needing a helmet. Feel free to ask me any questions.

This exactly. I would definitely ask for a referral to a PT just to make sure everything else is checked out. Tort and plagiocephaly often go together. The PT will be the best person to talk to about these issues and give you ideas of things to do at home.

She did not mention this when she examined my son last week, and online research does not match him. I will be sure to follow up, thanks!

ellebelle2384 · April 2014

Wifey xo said:

ellebelle2384 said:

Missa_g said:

I would suggest having your son evaluated for torticollis to see if PT is needed. If you has tort then aggressive PT can dramatically help lessen the chances of needing a helmet. Feel free to ask me any questions.

This exactly. I would definitely ask for a referral to a PT just to make sure everything else is checked out. Tort and plagiocephaly often go together. The PT will be the best person to talk to about these issues and give you ideas of things to do at home.

She did not mention this when she examined my son last week, and online research does not match him. I will be sure to follow up, thanks!

Sorry just rereading what I wrote now and it wasn't super clear. Even if he only has plagiocephaly a PT can still give you ideas of things to do at home. If your insurance isn't going to cover the helmet, maybe they would at least cover an eval or a session or two. That way you can still work on things with him. Hope that makes sense. (As a speech therapist I always give a shout out to my colleagues in PT or OT when their services would be helpful).

Junebug060609 · April 2014

Another vote for those of you thinking your kids have plagiocephaly to get it checked out now and not wait. I also second having a PT evaluate for torticollis.

My DS had tort and mild plag and we were able to avoid needing a helmet with PT. The younger you do the PT (mostly stretches), the easier the kid is to work with. DS started around 4 months and "graduated" a few months later.

lauralew · April 2014

Oh...and to add... The orthodist who conducted our evaluation was very honest. He wasn't in the business of selling helmets, so he was matter of fact. Walter was on the cusp between mild and moderate plagiocephaly. The orthodist said straight up that he didn't necessarily need a helmet...meaning he didn't have a significant bulge front/side bulge, facial asymmetry, etc, that most people wouldn't even notice whether or not he had a helmet. If that makes sense. Since we had amazing insurance plus family members willing to help, we went for it. Hopefully you have the same experience during your evaluation!

stefuge · April 2014

My son had torticollis which caused a flat spot on one side and caused his forehead to push forward on one side as well. We did PT starting around 3 months and were referred for the helmet soon after. DS had a 12mm difference between the two measurements at the back of his head (it was an angled flat spot) and by the time he was done it was down to a 3 mm difference. He wore the helmet for 3 1/2 months and it did not bother him at all.

Our big concern was his forehead (it jutted forward more so on one side) and that he was a boy and likely wouldn't have long hair to hide a flat spot. We were really nervous about doing the helmet, but it was much easier than we thought it would be and definitely worth it.

If you want more info and photos, I documented our experience on my blog (link in my siggy - category "Landon's little head".)

Want a personalized experience?

Do we really need a helmet?

Re: Do we really need a helmet?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards