Re: Is there anyone out there whose child has a mild to moderate case...

[Guest guest]

Hi

Am I right in thinking your little one has brachy? I just wanted to

throw a few ideas in to the whole process. Firstly- brachy does take

longer to grow out than plagio as it's a whole half a head rather

than a quarter if you see what I mean. So there is an argument for

banding brachy earlier/or when less severe as it can be harder to

see a result with brachy. Also repo with brachy is harder than for

plagio as you have to try to keep the sides constant as well as keep

the head off the back, so it doesn't get any wider as well as

flatter. There is a great section called Repositioning Headquarters

in Files I think, which you could print off and see what you can do

to repo brachy in terms of placing your little one on either side.

Don't feel bad about finding repo hard going, it really is a 24/7

job, and brachy is hard to repo especially as they do start to

wriggle a lot at about 5/6 months. Finding repo hardgoing is also

another reason to consider banding- it just isn't possible for some

people and many parents do say they feel a sigh of relief when their

baby gets a band as they no longer have to worry about where the

head is placed at all time.

You mention 'pressure' on the head- I presume you mean that the band

might pressure the skull. In fact it doesn't, rather it more holds

the sides constant and allows all the natural growth to occur

backwards to make the head look more normal. Thus a brachy band

can't actually make the head less wide, it can only encourage

natural growth backwards. Plus there is a study to show that normal

skull growth is maintained in a helmet, so you don't need to worry

that this will be compromised. The pressure of a helmet is similar

to the pressure of all those flat surfaces your little one has been

lying on, so I think of it like a reverse process, it is not

a 'pressure' in the way that you perhaps have thought.

Finally, as for growing out, the research is a bit mixed as the

criterion for 'correction; is often pretty generous on these

studies, so you have to understand that what may be deemed 'normal'

in this study may still be noticeable to you. I think you have to go

off whether you think your son's headshape is ok and whether you can

wait happily to see what happens alongside repositioning, or whether

in fact you would rather remove the uncertainty and band him. At

five months with mild plagio, I might say to some parents who are

unsure that it is ok to wait, however, I do think brachy is harder

to correct and takes longer, so if you are really bothered by the

head the way it is, I would perhaps think about banding. Brachy can

also be quite visible in an older child- I seem to spot more older

brachy kids than plagio ones, I'm not sure why.

That's not to say that natural rounding can't occur, I've known

people who have seen considerable improvements through repo and over

time their children's heads have got much better to the point where

they are uncertain whether to band or have chosen not to. Also

Christie our repo mod repo'ed her daughter from 5 1/2 months to

about 13 months (correct me if I am wrong Christie!) and saw real

improvement in her little girl's moderate brachy- but she would be

the first to admit it was a totally full-time job both night and day.

Not sure if I have helped at all, I just wanted you to have a bit

more info about brachy in particular to make your decision. There is

also a great site of a parent I know, , who decided to band

her little boy Toby who also had brachy and I think his cephalic

ration was 97% so it may give you some basis for comparison. His

brachy looked better in person than in his 'before' photo (I have

met him) but his parents are just delighted with the end result,

though they would be the first to admit that it was quite a slow

process for them (he was about eight months when banded and grew

very slowly). You can find their really interesting pages on brachy

at:

http://www.clairekerr.com/the-kerrs/toby/brachy/brachy_home.html

Good luck in making your decision

Hannah (mum to Lucia, London, UK)

Cranio grad (for severe plagio)

> > Is there anyone out there whose child has/had a mild to moderate

> case

> > of brachy and DIDN'T do the band? My son is 5 months old with

no

> hair

> > and his cephalic index is 97 (I think), with no asymetry and

he's

> > developing fine, no tortocolis and has rolled over a few times.

> We're

> > just not sure whether or not to go with the band. Have sought

> several

> > opinions. One pediatrician said he wouldn't do it if it were

his

> kid,

> > doesn't think it's necessary and is pretty sure it'll will work

> itself

> > out by the time he's one year old. Two physical therapists said

> she

> > wouldn't do it and that it won't be noticable once his hair

grows

> in.

> > Another pediatrician didn't give his opinion, only that he'd

> support us

> > in any decision we make and if we want to go with the doc band,

> he'll

> > provide the referral.

> >

> > From everything I read, it doesn't sound as if it will go away,

> > although I did read one study in which among 200 infants, 23

> developed

> > brachy and by age two, it resolved itself on its own in all buy

one

> > case. But we don't want to be that one case. He spends a lot

of

> time

> > on his tummy, but this repositioning stuff seems unrealistic to

do

> 24/7.

> >

> > Also am concerned about all that pressure on the skull at such a

> young

> > age, especially if his case is not severe.

> >

> > Am just scared that it will be noticable when he gets older and

I

> might

> > regret my decision.

> >

> > help!

> >

> > thanks!!

> >

> > , son of Jake (5 mos) and (3 yr)

>

>

>

>

> For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

Hi

Am I right in thinking your little one has brachy? I just wanted to

throw a few ideas in to the whole process. Firstly- brachy does take

longer to grow out than plagio as it's a whole half a head rather

than a quarter if you see what I mean. So there is an argument for

banding brachy earlier/or when less severe as it can be harder to

see a result with brachy. Also repo with brachy is harder than for

plagio as you have to try to keep the sides constant as well as keep

the head off the back, so it doesn't get any wider as well as

flatter. There is a great section called Repositioning Headquarters

in Files I think, which you could print off and see what you can do

to repo brachy in terms of placing your little one on either side.

Don't feel bad about finding repo hard going, it really is a 24/7

job, and brachy is hard to repo especially as they do start to

wriggle a lot at about 5/6 months. Finding repo hardgoing is also

another reason to consider banding- it just isn't possible for some

people and many parents do say they feel a sigh of relief when their

baby gets a band as they no longer have to worry about where the

head is placed at all time.

You mention 'pressure' on the head- I presume you mean that the band

might pressure the skull. In fact it doesn't, rather it more holds

the sides constant and allows all the natural growth to occur

backwards to make the head look more normal. Thus a brachy band

can't actually make the head less wide, it can only encourage

natural growth backwards. Plus there is a study to show that normal

skull growth is maintained in a helmet, so you don't need to worry

that this will be compromised. The pressure of a helmet is similar

to the pressure of all those flat surfaces your little one has been

lying on, so I think of it like a reverse process, it is not

a 'pressure' in the way that you perhaps have thought.

Finally, as for growing out, the research is a bit mixed as the

criterion for 'correction; is often pretty generous on these

studies, so you have to understand that what may be deemed 'normal'

in this study may still be noticeable to you. I think you have to go

off whether you think your son's headshape is ok and whether you can

wait happily to see what happens alongside repositioning, or whether

in fact you would rather remove the uncertainty and band him. At

five months with mild plagio, I might say to some parents who are

unsure that it is ok to wait, however, I do think brachy is harder

to correct and takes longer, so if you are really bothered by the

head the way it is, I would perhaps think about banding. Brachy can

also be quite visible in an older child- I seem to spot more older

brachy kids than plagio ones, I'm not sure why.

That's not to say that natural rounding can't occur, I've known

people who have seen considerable improvements through repo and over

time their children's heads have got much better to the point where

they are uncertain whether to band or have chosen not to. Also

Christie our repo mod repo'ed her daughter from 5 1/2 months to

about 13 months (correct me if I am wrong Christie!) and saw real

improvement in her little girl's moderate brachy- but she would be

the first to admit it was a totally full-time job both night and day.

Not sure if I have helped at all, I just wanted you to have a bit

more info about brachy in particular to make your decision. There is

also a great site of a parent I know, , who decided to band

her little boy Toby who also had brachy and I think his cephalic

ration was 97% so it may give you some basis for comparison. His

brachy looked better in person than in his 'before' photo (I have

met him) but his parents are just delighted with the end result,

though they would be the first to admit that it was quite a slow

process for them (he was about eight months when banded and grew

very slowly). You can find their really interesting pages on brachy

at:

http://www.clairekerr.com/the-kerrs/toby/brachy/brachy_home.html

Good luck in making your decision

Hannah (mum to Lucia, London, UK)

Cranio grad (for severe plagio)

> > Is there anyone out there whose child has/had a mild to moderate

> case

> > of brachy and DIDN'T do the band? My son is 5 months old with

no

> hair

> > and his cephalic index is 97 (I think), with no asymetry and

he's

> > developing fine, no tortocolis and has rolled over a few times.

> We're

> > just not sure whether or not to go with the band. Have sought

> several

> > opinions. One pediatrician said he wouldn't do it if it were

his

> kid,

> > doesn't think it's necessary and is pretty sure it'll will work

> itself

> > out by the time he's one year old. Two physical therapists said

> she

> > wouldn't do it and that it won't be noticable once his hair

grows

> in.

> > Another pediatrician didn't give his opinion, only that he'd

> support us

> > in any decision we make and if we want to go with the doc band,

> he'll

> > provide the referral.

> >

> > From everything I read, it doesn't sound as if it will go away,

> > although I did read one study in which among 200 infants, 23

> developed

> > brachy and by age two, it resolved itself on its own in all buy

one

> > case. But we don't want to be that one case. He spends a lot

of

> time

> > on his tummy, but this repositioning stuff seems unrealistic to

do

> 24/7.

> >

> > Also am concerned about all that pressure on the skull at such a

> young

> > age, especially if his case is not severe.

> >

> > Am just scared that it will be noticable when he gets older and

I

> might

> > regret my decision.

> >

> > help!

> >

> > thanks!!

> >

> > , son of Jake (5 mos) and (3 yr)

>

>

>

>

> For more plagio info