Re: Questions--measurements, severity, hearing, muscle tightness

[Guest guest]

Hi Doreen,

My daughter had 11 mm cranial vault and 9 mm ear asymetry and they rated her moderate. SO, based on the measurements alone I would say they sound mild to moderate. Usually measurements around 6 mm are considered mild and the lower end of what they band.

The CT folks really can't diagnosis tort since they aren't doctors. My daughter also had tightening of the neck muscles (hers was right). We've been doing the stretches since September and have seen improvement. She's not quite resolved but has full range of motion and very little tightening left.

Sorry I can't help with the research question. I asked Tim Littlefield (Cranial Tech) about that once. I've copied his response here.

HTH

From: "timlittlefield" <timlittlefield@y...> Date: Wed Nov 26, 2003 6:45 pmSubject: Re: TIM LITTLEFIELD - Questions about the file with info about plagio causing problems later in life

Dear Jenn and ,The relationship between plagiocephaly and 'functional problems' hasnot been well established in the medical literature. Insurancecompanies have leveraged this fact for years to deny coverage forcranial headbands saying there is no proof of funcational impairmentand therefore calling it a 'cosmetic' issue.Only now are the concerns about the relationship between cranialasymmetry and ocular, auditory and other problems beginning to getattention. These concerns are mostly raised in the craniofacialfield because those are the physicians who see these children as theyget older and are the ones who recognize that any cranial deformityregardless of whether it comes from intrauterine constraint,syndrome, congenital birth defects, etc will tend to lead to thesetypes of problems.None-the-less, nothing has been conclusively proven in the literaturewhich is why it is always a topic of such debate. Unfoturnately, Itruly believe that only time will tell. Also, to put things inperspective, we are really talking about severe deformities wherethere is significant facial and skull base (ears being off)asymmetry, not the more moderate levels of deformationalplagiocephaly.Not sure that helped.Tim--- In Plagiocephaly , " Filyaw" <filyaw@b...>wrote:> Jenn,> I've read the same files. I would love clarification. Maybe Timcan help. I've used all of these in my appeal with the understandingby treating the plagio I reduce the risk of na developingfurther complications due to her head shape.>> >> na/DOC/10-27 @ 4.5 mos/waiting on #2/SC> Questions about the file with info about plagiocausing problems later in life>>> In the file section, I read an article about plagiocephaly being> related to everything from vision and hearing to learning> disability. I don't understand-is that WITHOUT treatment or> REGARDLESS of treatment? Just when I was starting to feel goodabout> this and calm down, I read something that gives me something newto> worry about..."is my baby going to have those problems and whatcan I> do about it" keeps running through my mind!> Jenn> 8> Madisson 7> Carson almost 6 months (2 weeks on Friday in helmet)>>>

[Guest guest]

Hi Doreen,

My son received his DOC band at 10months. His at 6mm cranial vault assymetry and +/- 2 std dev. brachy. No one actually classified it as mild/moderate, but that's what I assumed it was. We are VERYhappy with his progress in his DOC band. He's will be graduating 2/13 after 4.5 months. There is still some residual flatness, but I think that most people will not notice that. His ear assymetry also corrected a good deal, but not completely. Right now, we are not planning to go for a 2nd band.

We got a RX from our ped and they showed us the stretches to help resolve the tort at CT. We never went for physical therapy as much of Matt's tort had begun to resolve itself by the time we were getting banded. However, the home stretches really helped. Soon after we started doing them, he would often choose to lay with his head turned in the other direction.

and /DOC/10-7-03 @10mos./PAdasheene1992 <dasheene1992@...> wrote:

Hi all...I have some questions some of you may be able to help me with. My daughter is almost 6 months old and was measured at Cranial Tech the other day and will be casted next week. Her cranial vault asymmetry is 8 mm and her cranial base asymmetry is 6mm, which we were told is mild to moderate. I'm interested in hearing about the experience of others with similar asymmetry with the DOC Band, and whether others with similar measurements were also called mild to moderate.Also, the CT person said that my daughter also has mild muscle tightening on the left side of her neck but would not call it torticollis and recommended stretching exercises at home, no PT.My daughter was a large (9 lb.) breech baby and she repeatedly failed her newborn hearing screening on her right side. She was referred for more advanced testing

("evoked response") and passed that with no problem, although the dr. said she had VERY mild deficiencies with a couple of tones that were still normal and nothing to be concerned about. Now I came across the following article on this board and am worried that it relates to brain functioning. <Auditory ERPs reveal brain dysfunction in infants with plagiocephaly. J Craniofac Surg. 2002 Jul; 13(4): 520-5; discussion 526. (Balan P, Kushnerenko E, Sahlin P, Huotilainen M, Naatanen R, Hukki J.)> As I understand it, there is no research to show that correcting plagio will prevent delays. Is that true?Thanks so much...DoreenMom to Ella DOB 8/8/03For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

Thanks, . And congraulations!

Do you know yet what your son's current measurements are?

Doreen

>

> Hi all...I have some questions some of you may be able to help me

> with. My daughter is almost 6 months old and was measured at

Cranial

> Tech the other day and will be casted next week. Her cranial vault

> asymmetry is 8 mm and her cranial base asymmetry is 6mm, which we

> were told is mild to moderate. I'm interested in hearing about the

> experience of others with similar asymmetry with the DOC Band, and

> whether others with similar measurements were also called mild to

> moderate.

>

> Also, the CT person said that my daughter also has mild muscle

> tightening on the left side of her neck but would not call it

> torticollis and recommended stretching exercises at home, no PT.

>

> My daughter was a large (9 lb.) breech baby and she repeatedly

> failed her newborn hearing screening on her right side. She was

> referred for more advanced testing ( " evoked response " ) and passed

> that with no problem, although the dr. said she had VERY mild

> deficiencies with a couple of tones that were still normal and

> nothing to be concerned about. Now I came across the following

> article on this board and am worried that it relates to brain

> functioning. <Auditory ERPs reveal brain dysfunction in infants

with

> plagiocephaly. J Craniofac Surg. 2002 Jul; 13(4): 520-5;

discussion

> 526. (Balan P, Kushnerenko E, Sahlin P, Huotilainen M, Naatanen R,

> Hukki J.)> As I understand it, there is no research to show that

> correcting plagio will prevent delays. Is that true?

>

> Thanks so much...

> Doreen

> Mom to Ella DOB 8/8/03

>

>

>

> For more plagio info