passive or active band -confused

[Guest guest]

I posted a message about our appt with a plastic surgeon and him

referring us to a place for the helmet. I described the helmet and a

couple people have said it sounds like a passive type of helmet. I

feel really dumb, but I don't know if I understand correctly the

difference. So, I'm going to include what the information I received

states about the helmet and maybe someone can help me figure this all

out! The info I was given says that " some parts of the helmet fit

snugly, while the parts covering the flattened areas are open. As

the baby's head grows, the skull is slowly directed into the open

areas to create a more symmetrical, rounded look....the helmet is

intended to apply passive pressure to prominent regions of an

infant's cranium... " So, is this then a passive helmet? Like I said

before it is in two pieces unlike the DOC/STARbands.

Also, does anyone know about the Hanger Cranial Band that Hanger

Prosthetics and Orthotics does? I was told by Hanger that it is

the " same thing " as the STARband.

Thanks,

Luke's mom

Columbia, MO

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Don't feel dumb. A passive helmet relys totally on growth, it sits on

the baby's head and eventually the baby's head grows into the shape

of the helmet, round. An active band redirects the growth of the head

through gentle pressure not felt by the baby.

--- In Plagiocephaly , " tracybpenny " <tracybpen@j...>

wrote:

> I posted a message about our appt with a plastic surgeon and him

> referring us to a place for the helmet. I described the helmet and

a

> couple people have said it sounds like a passive type of helmet. I

> feel really dumb, but I don't know if I understand correctly the

> difference. So, I'm going to include what the information I

received

> states about the helmet and maybe someone can help me figure this

all

> out! The info I was given says that " some parts of the helmet fit

> snugly, while the parts covering the flattened areas are open. As

> the baby's head grows, the skull is slowly directed into the open

> areas to create a more symmetrical, rounded look....the helmet is

> intended to apply passive pressure to prominent regions of an

> infant's cranium... " So, is this then a passive helmet? Like I

said

> before it is in two pieces unlike the DOC/STARbands.

>

> Also, does anyone know about the Hanger Cranial Band that Hanger

> Prosthetics and Orthotics does? I was told by Hanger that it is

> the " same thing " as the STARband.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Luke's mom

> Columbia, MO

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

They certainly do their best to gkeep us guessing, don't they!

The band you are describing certainly sounds like a passive band,

especially since it says that it applies " passive pressure. " An

active band applies light pressure to the head, directing where the

growth should occur vs. the passive helmet that allows a head to grow

into the shape provided by the helmet. Does that help any?

As for the Hanger helmet, it has been approved by the FDA as separate

than the STARband so it has to be different than the STARband, but it

may have a similar design. I don't know much about the Hanger

helmet/band in particluar, but we had a STARband for 21 weeks so i

feel I know them pretty intimately. LOL

HTH

- mom to Aidan

STARgrad 02/04/04

GR MI

--- In Plagiocephaly , " tracybpenny " <tracybpen@j...>

wrote:

> I posted a message about our appt with a plastic surgeon and him

> referring us to a place for the helmet. I described the helmet and

a

> couple people have said it sounds like a passive type of helmet. I

> feel really dumb, but I don't know if I understand correctly the

> difference. So, I'm going to include what the information I

received

> states about the helmet and maybe someone can help me figure this

all

> out! The info I was given says that " some parts of the helmet fit

> snugly, while the parts covering the flattened areas are open. As

> the baby's head grows, the skull is slowly directed into the open

> areas to create a more symmetrical, rounded look....the helmet is

> intended to apply passive pressure to prominent regions of an

> infant's cranium... " So, is this then a passive helmet? Like I

said

> before it is in two pieces unlike the DOC/STARbands.

>

> Also, does anyone know about the Hanger Cranial Band that Hanger

> Prosthetics and Orthotics does? I was told by Hanger that it is

> the " same thing " as the STARband.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Luke's mom

> Columbia, MO

[Guest guest]

,

Is the helmet you are describing the Hanger Cranial Band? The

Hanger Cranial Band does look similar to a Starband, but it is a

different brand of band. Sometimes a Hanger facility will offer

both the Hanger Cranial Band (their own brand) and the Starband (by

Orthomerica). The Hanger Cranial Band is an also an active band

like the Starband and DOCband. The helmet you initially described

that has two pieces that are spaced farther apart as the baby grows

does sound like a helmet of a passive design.... I just wanted to

know if you could clarify if the helmet you described is the Hanger

Cranial Band you are asking about. We have one group member who has

experience with the Hanger Cranial Band.--- Her name is Janina and

her email is jtassone@... . She listed her email in the

Helmet/Band Database for the Hanger location in Woburn, MA, if

anyone had any questions about that location or that type of band.

If you have any questions, why don't you send her an email?

As earlier replies stated, a passive helmet relies on the baby's

head growth alone to fill out into the round shape of the helmet.

Passive helmets work best on younger babies who have a lot of growth

spurts ahead of them. An active band uses the baby's head growth

AND gentle pressure to actively reshape the baby's head, making the

band effective on younger and older babies.

I hope this information helps. What is the location for the helmet

you described? We may have a group member who has some experience

with it.

Christie (Mom to Repo'd Remy)

--- In Plagiocephaly , " tracybpenny " <tracybpen@j...>

wrote:

> I posted a message about our appt with a plastic surgeon and him

> referring us to a place for the helmet. I described the helmet

and a

> couple people have said it sounds like a passive type of helmet.

I

> feel really dumb, but I don't know if I understand correctly the

> difference. So, I'm going to include what the information I

received

> states about the helmet and maybe someone can help me figure this

all

> out! The info I was given says that " some parts of the helmet fit

> snugly, while the parts covering the flattened areas are open. As

> the baby's head grows, the skull is slowly directed into the open

> areas to create a more symmetrical, rounded look....the helmet is

> intended to apply passive pressure to prominent regions of an

> infant's cranium... " So, is this then a passive helmet? Like I

said

> before it is in two pieces unlike the DOC/STARbands.

>

> Also, does anyone know about the Hanger Cranial Band that Hanger

> Prosthetics and Orthotics does? I was told by Hanger that it is

> the " same thing " as the STARband.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Luke's mom

> Columbia, MO