Guest guest Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Our 5 month old son Max has been diagnosed with mild/moderate plagio (2 std dev from normal) and, despite the fact that both our paediatrician and neurosurgeon advised against banding, we are still considering getting it done. Is this crazy? Are there some good success stories out there from those that did not go the banding route and did aggressive repositioning instead? Secondly, if we do go ahead with the banding, are there any things we can do to ease the transition for our son? We are worried that it is the middle of summer so the helmet will be hot/uncomfortable and he has sensitive skin prone to eczema flare-ups. To top it all off, he is a terrible sleeper. Any advice/helpful tips would be most appreciated!! Sheila and London, UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Hello Sheila and Micheal, Welcome to the group. I see that Debbie gave you a very complete answer so I won't repeat. Max is at a great age to be banded but if you decide to go towards aggressive repositioning you need to get going. Whatever you decide to do, the group will support you in any way. As for the heat, my son was banded during the summer and where I live in Atlanta, GA the summers are a nightmare, 85-100 degrees with humidity and he actually very rarely even sweated. Kids can surprise you! Natasha --- In Plagiocephaly , " mfurth " <michael.furth@b...> wrote: > Our 5 month old son Max has been diagnosed with mild/moderate plagio > (2 std dev from normal) and, despite the fact that both our > paediatrician and neurosurgeon advised against banding, we are still > considering getting it done. > > Is this crazy? Are there some good success stories out there from > those that did not go the banding route and did aggressive > repositioning instead? > > Secondly, if we do go ahead with the banding, are there any things we > can do to ease the transition for our son? We are worried that it is > the middle of summer so the helmet will be hot/uncomfortable and he > has sensitive skin prone to eczema flare-ups. To top it all off, he > is a terrible sleeper. > > Any advice/helpful tips would be most appreciated!! > > Sheila and > London, UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Hi there That's a difficult dilemma- I'm not sure I know what I would do, but here are some thoughts. When you say the ped and neurosurgeon advise against it, helmet/band therapy is very new in the UK and a lot of doctors simply know little about it or feel it might be quite drastic becasue they have never seen banded babies and don't know how well they adjust and how little difficulties they have. Are these people who have seen babies banded and are advising against on the basis of that knowledge, or do they know little about the treatment? You could consider taking your little one to one of the two specialists in the UK which Debbie has detailed, because they see a lot of babies and may be in a better position to judge this. Now they do have a vested interest in promoting banding to a certain extent, but it would provide you with an alternative opinion from someone who has treated a lot of these babies and sees the whole range of severity. I can't imagine Dr Blecher persuading you to put your little one in a helmet if he felt it simply wasn't warranted. RE: the skin problem and the heat in summer, as some people point out, most babies adjust very well to the helmet/band and some just don't seem to sweat at all, even in the heat. My own daughter Lucia did sweat a lot for the first two weeks, because like your baby, she has sensitive skin (if she wears any nylon or polyester, not 100% cotton she just sweats as well). Our flat is also really hot for some reason, and although there has been no sun, it has been humid. What we did was buy an air conditioning unit, just a really cheap one for £150-200, and on humid days I just use that. I wouldn't let that put you off at all- keeping a careful eye and taking the helmet off at the first sign of trouble whould be enough. Lucia's sleeping also didn't change after getting the helmet- they just put them on 23hours a day from the start (with Dr Blecher's helmet) and this helps them adjust easily to it- it's part of them and your little one is quite young which will help. That's not to persuade you to go for a helmet. I'm not sure what I would do if Lucia was mild/moderate and I think repo is a very good option I would seriously consider. You could try it for a month and see where you are. I just wanted to give you some information so you can make your decision. Good luck with it all, the stress of making a decision is far greater than actually getting on with it afterwards! Hannah (mum to Lucia, UK) --- In Plagiocephaly , " mfurth " <michael.furth@b...> wrote: > Our 5 month old son Max has been diagnosed with mild/moderate plagio > (2 std dev from normal) and, despite the fact that both our > paediatrician and neurosurgeon advised against banding, we are still > considering getting it done. > > Is this crazy? Are there some good success stories out there from > those that did not go the banding route and did aggressive > repositioning instead? > > Secondly, if we do go ahead with the banding, are there any things we > can do to ease the transition for our son? We are worried that it is > the middle of summer so the helmet will be hot/uncomfortable and he > has sensitive skin prone to eczema flare-ups. To top it all off, he > is a terrible sleeper. > > Any advice/helpful tips would be most appreciated!! > > Sheila and > London, UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 In regard to the eczema and sleeping issues. My son Connor (9 mos.) has had his helmet for nearly 3 mos. now. He also has sensitive skin and eczema. Although we live in a hot humid climate, it really hasn't been too much of a problem. He has had a few small breakouts on his head, but nothing that required having his helmet off for an extended time. With daily head washing and Elidil, we've been able to keep it pretty well under control. Actually his forehead has been better since he got the helmet, go figure? Also wiping his head and the helmet with a cool rag every couple of hours will help with the heat. As for the sleeping, he probably won't be any worse with the helmet than without. My son has never been a good sleeper either and his helmet didn't seem to make it any worse. Now I think he sleeps better with it on, lol. Good luck with whatever you decide!! Connor (PPO helmet 5/4/04) > Our 5 month old son Max has been diagnosed with mild/moderate plagio > (2 std dev from normal) and, despite the fact that both our > paediatrician and neurosurgeon advised against banding, we are still > considering getting it done. > > Is this crazy? Are there some good success stories out there from > those that did not go the banding route and did aggressive > repositioning instead? > > Secondly, if we do go ahead with the banding, are there any things we > can do to ease the transition for our son? We are worried that it is > the middle of summer so the helmet will be hot/uncomfortable and he > has sensitive skin prone to eczema flare-ups. To top it all off, he > is a terrible sleeper. > > Any advice/helpful tips would be most appreciated!! > > Sheila and > London, UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 Hi Liza, My daughter adjusted to her helmet in about 4 hours. There was really nothing needed to help her be more comfortable. I made sure that she was good and ready for her first nap wearing the helmet. She had a little bit of trouble getting comfortable, and then when she woke, it was like she didn't even notice it anymore! Hopefully, you will have the same experience. This is a great forum for advice and support. Good luck! Fairfax, VA Mom to Dana, Brachy, DocBand 8mo, 9 weeks so far and head is rounding out nicely! Looking for advice Hello - My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them?We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!Thank you for your help.Liza (Washington DC)For more plagio info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 Hi Liza, Yes, it's true, it is much harder on the mommy than it is on the baby. My son never had a problem with his doc band. I left the room at cranial tech and came back in, he had it on his head and it never once phased him. It's been over 11 weeks and we've had virtually no problems. I'm not saying it's this stress free for everyone, but we've been lucky and it really helps to keep yourself positive. The first few days your son might be a little sweaty. Keep him dressed lightly, but try to keep the band on him as much as possible. His body temp will adjust in a couple days. Also, have some hydrocortisone cream on hand in case of heat rash (just use a really thin layer), 90% alcohol to clean the band, and some really strong smelling shampoo. I myself am addicted to Loreal Kids Strawberry Smoothie. The first few nights Aidan had his band on I kept him up a bit later than usual and tried to wear him out playing. That way when I put him in his crib he was really tired and went right to sleep. Good luck and keep us posted. Please share some pics if you can! & Aidan in CT 13 months, doc band 7/21 > > Hello - > > My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've > decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies > adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them? > > We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is > there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and > nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly > appreciated! > > Thank you for your help. > > Liza (Washington DC) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 Hi Liza.... My 7 month old son has just been fitted with his helmet, and we were totally shocked at how well he has taken to it. He hasn't grumbled once about it. He is very curious about it when we take it off to clean, but there is no fighting when we have to put it back on. We are over in the UK, and we went straight into 23 hours a day. The only preparations we made was when we were on holiday we went cycling, and so had to sit on the seat on the back of my husband's bike. We always wear helmets when we cycle. So we put our helmets on, and then we put 's on. We were expecting him to yell, but he didn't murmur. Do you know what, he let out because we had to strap him into the bike seat......boy did he yell about that! Not the helmet though!! I was very worried about how the helmet would affect . So far the only impact it has had on him is to start reshaping his head in just 6 days!!!! I can hardly dare to believe it!! Please do not worry about your son's reaction....there probably won't be one!!!! And my major concern was whether it wouyld affect 's sleep pattern, which is very good.....he sleeps through mostly, and for about 13 hours!! He is still doing this! (Although now I have said that he will probably start messing aobut!!!!) I hope it all goes wellfor you All the best and (plagio, cranio 4/10)liza_wexler <liza_wexler@...> wrote: Hello - My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them?We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!Thank you for your help.Liza (Washington DC)For more plagio info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 Hi Liza. When I told my friends and family that my son was going to be banded, so many of them said " He's going to hate it " . So positive, right? As if the situation wasn't hard enough already. I was so glad that Dylan never minded his Starband. He slept through the night the first night with it on and he never tugged at it or anything. The heat never bothered him either and this was in the summer. I definitely had a harder time with the idea at first. I know that the helmet does bother some kids but most adjust immediately. I was happy to tell those same people that he didn't mind it at all. I think you guys will be fine. Beth Mom of Dylan F Grand Rapids, MI > > Hello - > > My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've > decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies > adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them? > > We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is > there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and > nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly > appreciated! > > Thank you for your help. > > Liza (Washington DC) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Hi Liza, Welcome to the group! It *is* true! Well it was for us and for a majority of the babies that I have read about since I joined in June of this yr. My son wore a STARband at 9 mos old and it didn't faze him one bit when it was placed on his head. I was pleasantly surprised! We followed the break-in period and he was sleeping in it (thru the night) of Day 2. Sweating wasn't really a big problem at all (but Colin is a little baldy). You may just want to dress him a littel ighter than you normally would. Good luck to you and your child. I think it will go fine! Please let us know how it goes and if you have any other questions. Sue Colin F., 1 brachy,STARband Buffalo, NY > > Hello - > > My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've > decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies > adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them? > > We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is > there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and > nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly > appreciated! > > Thank you for your help. > > Liza (Washington DC) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Hi Liza, Welcome to the group. I see you got tons of answers. I'll agree the babies adjust much better than the parents (but we come around too) mom to na DOC Grad SCliza_wexler <liza_wexler@...> wrote: Hello - My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them?We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!Thank you for your help.Liza (Washington DC)For more plagio info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Hi Liza, Most (and I do mean MOST) babies adjust just fine to the helmet and they adjust quickly too. Some babies don't even need to " adjust " . They go on right after getting it as if it were never there :-) When is your son getting his helmet? What type of helmet will he be getting? , mom to Makenna LLUMC Helmet grad. '03 > > Hello - > > My five month old son was just diagnosed with plagio and we've > decided to go ahead with the helmet. Is it true that the babies > adjust quickly? Is it truly comfortable for them? > > We are also wondering if there are tips for helping them adjust - is > there anything we can do beforehand or in the first few days and > nights to make the transition easier? Any ideas would be greatly > appreciated! > > Thank you for your help. > > Liza (Washington DC) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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