Re: Comment on CT in Paramus NJ and Question for everyone/Carolyn

[Guest guest]

Hi Carolyn,

I am echoing some of what said. If you are unhappy or uneasy

with the CT employee/ortho that is adjusting your son's band because

she is new, or for whatever reason, it wouldn't be unreasonable to

request to see another ortho at that facility! That might help with

how you are feeling uncomfortable. Would you let us know if you do

request to see a different ortho and what they say? From time to

time, we do hear on the board of parents not being overly happy with

a particular clinician, whatever the facility, and usually this is

resolved well by the company as they try to accommodate an ortho

switch request.

The plastic surgeon is usually a referring doctor that is not

employed nor works at Cranial Tech - are you saying that you had

problems with his approach to recommending the need for treatment

for the degree of plagio that your son has? Deciding on what course

for treatment can be especially agonizing when the plagio severity

is borderline mild/moderate. What's important to note is there is

no medical definition by any specialty as to what constitues mild,

moderate or severe. Even the AAP uses severity terminology in it's

guidelines for the treatment of plagio, but doesn't offer up

measurement definitions.

In the absence of that, parents will get a wide range of

recommendations from specialists instead of one consensus, making

our decision-process that much more difficult. It may seem

a " tactic " for some professionals to inform parents that rounding

out can not be predicted, but it's imperative that parents get the

straight story, with no sugarcoating. Usually medical professionals

such as pediatricians, specialists, etc. lean toward assuring the

parents that their baby's head will round on on it's own, when

clearly, there is no way they can be sure about this. Decisions

about whether or not to band, repo, or do nothing are best based on

how one feels about baby's head shape at that moment, i.e Would you

be okay with the head shape if it didn't improve? Sometimes that

question is difficult to answer, and parents move forward with

banding with some ambivalence about the process and their baby's

need for it. My impression is that this is where you are, and your

discomfort with the ortho is compounding the situation! I hope at

least you are able to eliminate the problem with dealing with the

new ortho, and they accommodate you with another ortho with which

you are more comfortable.

I have a question about the measurments you included in your post -

I noticed the first two columns appear to be from the month of June -

is this correct? The last column is dated September, but your post

said you got the band last Friday... is the last column his most

recent measurements PRE band? Thank you for any clarification. I

would be happy to help provide some comment on his improvement or

degree of severity so far - I just want to make sure I understand if

these measurements were pre-band. Did the plastic surgeon provide

the measurements? They do show consistent improvment over time.

FYI, we did not choose to band our daughter, Remy. We decided to go

with repo only. I am one of the Repo Moderators here at the board,

and I try to stay up to date on all research related to banding/repo

comparisons. There isn't much, but there are a few studies out

there. One concluded helmets and repo offered similar results in,

but repo took 3 times longer (a total of 60+ weeks of repo.)

Another study concluded that helmets offered superior and faster

results than repo. Yet another study concluded helmets and bands

offered similar results in only mild-moderate cases. One last study

showed that babies asymmetries were worst at 4 months of age, but

gradually improved overall up until about 2 years of age - the

degree to which improvement got the babies' heads into normal range

is up for debate. One other study showed that 8 out of 37 babies

repo'd corrected to what was considered normal. Basically the

studies showed repo worked, but only over a long period of time,

primarily in mild-moderate cases, and it varied as to whether or not

the correction was to normal.

Take care,

Christie (Mom to Repo'd Remy)

> >

> > I know someone was asking opinions on CT. WE us the one in

> Paramus

> > and to be totally honest i am not thrilled with them. We were

> > tagged teamed when we went the first two times b/c the one girl

> was

> > in traiining. I think they were pushing the band when i don't

> > really think that they needed too. The one we are seeing now is

> new

> > and i am not sure how much experience she has. I just thought

> that

> > they were out for the money and a little snotty too.

> >

> > As for doctors we never saw a Ortho we saw a Plastic surgeon

down

> in

> > Freehold names Dr. Kim. I liked him and thought he was very

> > knowledgable.

> >

> > As for my question. WE have measurements and i asked the lady

at

> CT

> > about the how long my son PJ would needto be in it and she said

> > until he grew out of it or we were satisfied. I asked about the

> > measurements b/c she said 2-3 was the norm i asked what we

should

> > look to get to with the helemt and she told me they only use the

> > measurements for insurance purposes and they won't be using the

> > measurements anymore. How am i suppose to know if they is any

> > change? Do the other CT do measurements during the band checks?

> >

> > These are his measurements so i guess we aren't too bad (we jsut

> got

> > the band last monday:

> >

> > 6/2/05 6/29/05 9/12/05

> >

> > cranial width 124 126 128

> >

> > cranial length 143 146 152

> >

> > cephalic index 86.7 86.3 84.21

> >

> > cranial vault asymmetry 9 8 6

> > fzr-eul 132 134 138

> > fzl-eur 123 126 132

> >

> > Trans-cranial vault ass 15 12 11

> > fzr-ocpl 142 142 146

> > fzr-ocpr 127 130 133

> >

> > Mid-Face Asymmetry 3 2 1

> > exl-tl 48 49 52

> > exl-tr 45 47 53

> >

> > Skull Base Asymmetry 5 4 2

> > sn-tl 89 90 93

> > sn-tr 84 86 94

> >

> > I am concerned b/c i know that he is not going to round out

fully

> > but he is not so severe that it is really noticeable. He has a

> head

> > of hair that hides it. Shouldn't we be having some reading or

> > something. I feel like it is a racket just to make $3k.

> >

> > Carolyn

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

> For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

Hi Carolyn,

I am echoing some of what said. If you are unhappy or uneasy

with the CT employee/ortho that is adjusting your son's band because

she is new, or for whatever reason, it wouldn't be unreasonable to

request to see another ortho at that facility! That might help with

how you are feeling uncomfortable. Would you let us know if you do

request to see a different ortho and what they say? From time to

time, we do hear on the board of parents not being overly happy with

a particular clinician, whatever the facility, and usually this is

resolved well by the company as they try to accommodate an ortho

switch request.

The plastic surgeon is usually a referring doctor that is not

employed nor works at Cranial Tech - are you saying that you had

problems with his approach to recommending the need for treatment

for the degree of plagio that your son has? Deciding on what course

for treatment can be especially agonizing when the plagio severity

is borderline mild/moderate. What's important to note is there is

no medical definition by any specialty as to what constitues mild,

moderate or severe. Even the AAP uses severity terminology in it's

guidelines for the treatment of plagio, but doesn't offer up

measurement definitions.

In the absence of that, parents will get a wide range of

recommendations from specialists instead of one consensus, making

our decision-process that much more difficult. It may seem

a " tactic " for some professionals to inform parents that rounding

out can not be predicted, but it's imperative that parents get the

straight story, with no sugarcoating. Usually medical professionals

such as pediatricians, specialists, etc. lean toward assuring the

parents that their baby's head will round on on it's own, when

clearly, there is no way they can be sure about this. Decisions

about whether or not to band, repo, or do nothing are best based on

how one feels about baby's head shape at that moment, i.e Would you

be okay with the head shape if it didn't improve? Sometimes that

question is difficult to answer, and parents move forward with

banding with some ambivalence about the process and their baby's

need for it. My impression is that this is where you are, and your

discomfort with the ortho is compounding the situation! I hope at

least you are able to eliminate the problem with dealing with the

new ortho, and they accommodate you with another ortho with which

you are more comfortable.

I have a question about the measurments you included in your post -

I noticed the first two columns appear to be from the month of June -

is this correct? The last column is dated September, but your post

said you got the band last Friday... is the last column his most

recent measurements PRE band? Thank you for any clarification. I

would be happy to help provide some comment on his improvement or

degree of severity so far - I just want to make sure I understand if

these measurements were pre-band. Did the plastic surgeon provide

the measurements? They do show consistent improvment over time.

FYI, we did not choose to band our daughter, Remy. We decided to go

with repo only. I am one of the Repo Moderators here at the board,

and I try to stay up to date on all research related to banding/repo

comparisons. There isn't much, but there are a few studies out

there. One concluded helmets and repo offered similar results in,

but repo took 3 times longer (a total of 60+ weeks of repo.)

Another study concluded that helmets offered superior and faster

results than repo. Yet another study concluded helmets and bands

offered similar results in only mild-moderate cases. One last study

showed that babies asymmetries were worst at 4 months of age, but

gradually improved overall up until about 2 years of age - the

degree to which improvement got the babies' heads into normal range

is up for debate. One other study showed that 8 out of 37 babies

repo'd corrected to what was considered normal. Basically the

studies showed repo worked, but only over a long period of time,

primarily in mild-moderate cases, and it varied as to whether or not

the correction was to normal.

Take care,

Christie (Mom to Repo'd Remy)

> >

> > I know someone was asking opinions on CT. WE us the one in

> Paramus

> > and to be totally honest i am not thrilled with them. We were

> > tagged teamed when we went the first two times b/c the one girl

> was

> > in traiining. I think they were pushing the band when i don't

> > really think that they needed too. The one we are seeing now is

> new

> > and i am not sure how much experience she has. I just thought

> that

> > they were out for the money and a little snotty too.

> >

> > As for doctors we never saw a Ortho we saw a Plastic surgeon

down

> in

> > Freehold names Dr. Kim. I liked him and thought he was very

> > knowledgable.

> >

> > As for my question. WE have measurements and i asked the lady

at

> CT

> > about the how long my son PJ would needto be in it and she said

> > until he grew out of it or we were satisfied. I asked about the

> > measurements b/c she said 2-3 was the norm i asked what we

should

> > look to get to with the helemt and she told me they only use the

> > measurements for insurance purposes and they won't be using the

> > measurements anymore. How am i suppose to know if they is any

> > change? Do the other CT do measurements during the band checks?

> >

> > These are his measurements so i guess we aren't too bad (we jsut

> got

> > the band last monday:

> >

> > 6/2/05 6/29/05 9/12/05

> >

> > cranial width 124 126 128

> >

> > cranial length 143 146 152

> >

> > cephalic index 86.7 86.3 84.21

> >

> > cranial vault asymmetry 9 8 6

> > fzr-eul 132 134 138

> > fzl-eur 123 126 132

> >

> > Trans-cranial vault ass 15 12 11

> > fzr-ocpl 142 142 146

> > fzr-ocpr 127 130 133

> >

> > Mid-Face Asymmetry 3 2 1

> > exl-tl 48 49 52

> > exl-tr 45 47 53

> >

> > Skull Base Asymmetry 5 4 2

> > sn-tl 89 90 93

> > sn-tr 84 86 94

> >

> > I am concerned b/c i know that he is not going to round out

fully

> > but he is not so severe that it is really noticeable. He has a

> head

> > of hair that hides it. Shouldn't we be having some reading or

> > something. I feel like it is a racket just to make $3k.

> >

> > Carolyn

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

> For more plagio info