Guest guest Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 Hello. Newbie with a question. I posted before about how to choose between Hanger and STARband. Well, we decided on the STARband and Lawall O & P at the Penn State Hershey Med Center in PA. So far so good, but... Has anyone else experienced doubts about how the helmet fits? My son, who's almost six-months-old, just received his helmet on July 7th and everything's going much smoother than I imagined. (Except the insurance issue of course! That's a different story. Capital Blue Cross denied us, so we're appealing.) The one thing that has been bugging me, is the way the helmet fits. I checked out the photos of poorly fitted helmets and his is definitely not that severe. But his face isn't centered in the 'face cut-out,' and the one side sometimes pushes his eye towards his nose as the other side pushes on the front of his ear. It IS the ear that will hopefully move backwards as his head rounds out though. But I keep trying to rotate the helmet a bit, and it doesn't cooperate. I don't know, I guess it's supposed to fit the way it does? Also, when I remove it, there really aren't many red spots ... It's not too tight ... Which I guess is a good thing since he just got it? Does all this sound normal?? I've read all these sad stories about incorrect fit doing more harm than good so I've got myself worried now. We go back to the orthotist this Friday, the 14th, so I will mention all this to him then. Just thinking that I can't be the only with similar concerns.... Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 We had 2 ill fitting starbands for our son. We also had a properly fitted doc band and now he has his second properly fitted doc band. The things you are describing happened in our doc bands. I think the face is not even because the helmet and the childs face is not even, lol. Our son's doc band touched the front of his left (more forward) ear. His starbands did this as well but it was much different. I rubbed his ear raw and the only thing that was stoppint the band from twisting more was that it was touching the back of his right ear. The band should go on and hold on the holding points so what you are describing sounds alright. As for the eye it sounds like what many of us describe as angry eye. My son didn't get this with his starband but he does occasionally get it with his doc bands when I don't have it on right. I just open the band a little bit to let his eye get back into place and close it up again. It seems to help. Watch for red marks that take longer than an hour to fade. Sometimes the starbands have sharper edges and that ear may get irritated. They may need to soften up the edge. Thats what they did to andre's and it quite rubbing his ear raw. Although it did nothing for the fit problems. Haylee mom to Andre 22 months tort/doc band #1 22/11/05 doc band #2 21/6/06 & Lesly 22 months > > Hello. Newbie with a question. I posted before about how to choose > between Hanger and STARband. Well, we decided on the STARband and > Lawall O & P at the Penn State Hershey Med Center in PA. So far so good, > but... > > Has anyone else experienced doubts about how the helmet fits? > > My son, who's almost six-months-old, just received his helmet on July > 7th and everything's going much smoother than I imagined. (Except the > insurance issue of course! That's a different story. Capital Blue > Cross denied us, so we're appealing.) > > The one thing that has been bugging me, is the way the helmet fits. I > checked out the photos of poorly fitted helmets and his is definitely > not that severe. But his face isn't centered in the 'face cut-out,' > and the one side sometimes pushes his eye towards his nose as the > other side pushes on the front of his ear. It IS the ear that will > hopefully move backwards as his head rounds out though. But I keep > trying to rotate the helmet a bit, and it doesn't cooperate. I don't > know, I guess it's supposed to fit the way it does? > > Also, when I remove it, there really aren't many red spots ... It's > not too tight ... Which I guess is a good thing since he just got it? > > Does all this sound normal?? I've read all these sad stories about > incorrect fit doing more harm than good so I've got myself worried > now. We go back to the orthotist this Friday, the 14th, so I will > mention all this to him then. Just thinking that I can't be the only > with similar concerns.... > > Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hi , Nothing is jumping out with big red flags. Let me address your concerns. The bands do have wiggle room in them. Up to +/- 1 " of movement is normal. Not all bands are centered on the face. The band is supposed to be the corrected headshape so that would lead to it not being perfectly centered. Kiersten and na both had some agnry eye looks with their DOC bands. Check out their webste below with lots of pics. Kiersten's tilted forward a lot! We had to open the velcro and readjust numerous times a day - especially after she was active. I'm jsut not sure o nthe side pushing on the eye. I don't know if it's cut to clsoe or part of the holding process. No red spots or some that fade within an hour is a very good thing. I know the photo section is being a pain. Can you send me pics? I'd be happy to give you a better opinion. In the meantime keep a photo journal for yourself. Take pics of the things that bother you - because the band may not do that on appt day. Take progress pics every 2 weeks (top down, both sides, front and back). You can use these to track progress and discuss with ortho. na, DOC Grad X2 Feb 04, Tort Resolved Kiersten, DOC Grad Apr 06 (and CT web star), Tort Resolved www.thefilyaws.com/plagio/plagio.html > > Hello. Newbie with a question. I posted before about how to choose > between Hanger and STARband. Well, we decided on the STARband and > Lawall O & P at the Penn State Hershey Med Center in PA. So far so good, > but... > > Has anyone else experienced doubts about how the helmet fits? > > My son, who's almost six-months-old, just received his helmet on July > 7th and everything's going much smoother than I imagined. (Except the > insurance issue of course! That's a different story. Capital Blue > Cross denied us, so we're appealing.) > > The one thing that has been bugging me, is the way the helmet fits. I > checked out the photos of poorly fitted helmets and his is definitely > not that severe. But his face isn't centered in the 'face cut-out,' > and the one side sometimes pushes his eye towards his nose as the > other side pushes on the front of his ear. It IS the ear that will > hopefully move backwards as his head rounds out though. But I keep > trying to rotate the helmet a bit, and it doesn't cooperate. I don't > know, I guess it's supposed to fit the way it does? > > Also, when I remove it, there really aren't many red spots ... It's > not too tight ... Which I guess is a good thing since he just got it? > > Does all this sound normal?? I've read all these sad stories about > incorrect fit doing more harm than good so I've got myself worried > now. We go back to the orthotist this Friday, the 14th, so I will > mention all this to him then. Just thinking that I can't be the only > with similar concerns.... > > Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hello I think that if you compared to the ill fitting bands that something probably is off. Can you go back to have them take a look at it and maybe correct it. Sometimes when you first start tx it can take a few adjustments to get the proper fit Sandy Willow's mom Tort resolved 02/04 Cranio Germany Grad 02/04 > > Hello. Newbie with a question. I posted before about how to choose > between Hanger and STARband. Well, we decided on the STARband and > Lawall O & P at the Penn State Hershey Med Center in PA. So far so good, > but... > > Has anyone else experienced doubts about how the helmet fits? > > My son, who's almost six-months-old, just received his helmet on July > 7th and everything's going much smoother than I imagined. (Except the > insurance issue of course! That's a different story. Capital Blue > Cross denied us, so we're appealing.) > > The one thing that has been bugging me, is the way the helmet fits. I > checked out the photos of poorly fitted helmets and his is definitely > not that severe. But his face isn't centered in the 'face cut-out,' > and the one side sometimes pushes his eye towards his nose as the > other side pushes on the front of his ear. It IS the ear that will > hopefully move backwards as his head rounds out though. But I keep > trying to rotate the helmet a bit, and it doesn't cooperate. I don't > know, I guess it's supposed to fit the way it does? > > Also, when I remove it, there really aren't many red spots ... It's > not too tight ... Which I guess is a good thing since he just got it? > > Does all this sound normal?? I've read all these sad stories about > incorrect fit doing more harm than good so I've got myself worried > now. We go back to the orthotist this Friday, the 14th, so I will > mention all this to him then. Just thinking that I can't be the only > with similar concerns.... > > Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hello . I'm glad that Larson has his STARband and things are going well so far. The things that you described are pretty common, especially in the beginning. 's band rotated a bit and it wasn't perfectly centered. Don's explanation for this was that the " bulging area " on the left side of her head and the " crookedness " of her head was slightly shifting the band. In the very beginning, it was touching the front of her right (more forward) ear and Don just shaved a tad off of the sideburn area so that it wouldn't irritate her ear. As far as the eye thing, you may be referring to what people often refer to this as " angry eye " . Sometimes if the band isn't sitting quite right on the baby's head, it kinda scrunches their eye/forehead area. Do you have any pics of him in his band? You can email me with pics if you would like and I'll take a look for you if you want. Keep us updated! Jen (23 mo), tort resolved, Hanger Band Grad (4.5 years) PA > > Hello. Newbie with a question. I posted before about how to choose > between Hanger and STARband. Well, we decided on the STARband and > Lawall O & P at the Penn State Hershey Med Center in PA. So far so good, > but... > > Has anyone else experienced doubts about how the helmet fits? > > My son, who's almost six-months-old, just received his helmet on July > 7th and everything's going much smoother than I imagined. (Except the > insurance issue of course! That's a different story. Capital Blue > Cross denied us, so we're appealing.) > > The one thing that has been bugging me, is the way the helmet fits. I > checked out the photos of poorly fitted helmets and his is definitely > not that severe. But his face isn't centered in the 'face cut-out,' > and the one side sometimes pushes his eye towards his nose as the > other side pushes on the front of his ear. It IS the ear that will > hopefully move backwards as his head rounds out though. But I keep > trying to rotate the helmet a bit, and it doesn't cooperate. I don't > know, I guess it's supposed to fit the way it does? > > Also, when I remove it, there really aren't many red spots ... It's > not too tight ... Which I guess is a good thing since he just got it? > > Does all this sound normal?? I've read all these sad stories about > incorrect fit doing more harm than good so I've got myself worried > now. We go back to the orthotist this Friday, the 14th, so I will > mention all this to him then. Just thinking that I can't be the only > with similar concerns.... > > Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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