freaking out about too small helmet

[Guest guest]

My son has been wearing his Starband for 3 months and had some

regression on his plagio (brachy was the primary issue) so I went today

to see a new othotist to see what she thought about whether we should

get a new helmet or what. When she examined my son, she said his

helmet was too small and she made me promise that I wouldn't put it on

him anymore. (We had just seen my son's regular ortho two days ago and

he said the helmet was getting small but that my son could still wear

it for a couple more weeks.)

I asked about a million times if she thought that the helmet could have

caused any kind of neurological damage because it was too tight and she

said she thought my son looked really healthy and seemed totally fine.

And she didn't see any lasting red marks on his head.

But I'm freaking out anyway! Obviously a too tight helmet could cause

issues. What if it did -- would I be able to tell?

[Guest guest]

I think he's fine. I think you would notice skin irriations, or his

head shape getting worse, but that it would have to be pretty bad to

damage his brain. Also his head is growing, so it might have only been

too small for a very short time. Was the new ortho a starband ortho

too? I'm glad you went to someone else.

-christine

sydney 2 yrs starband grad

>

> My son has been wearing his Starband for 3 months and had some

> regression on his plagio (brachy was the primary issue) so I went today

> to see a new othotist to see what she thought about whether we should

> get a new helmet or what. When she examined my son, she said his

> helmet was too small and she made me promise that I wouldn't put it on

> him anymore. (We had just seen my son's regular ortho two days ago and

> he said the helmet was getting small but that my son could still wear

> it for a couple more weeks.)

>

> I asked about a million times if she thought that the helmet could have

> caused any kind of neurological damage because it was too tight and she

> said she thought my son looked really healthy and seemed totally fine.

> And she didn't see any lasting red marks on his head.

>

> But I'm freaking out anyway! Obviously a too tight helmet could cause

> issues. What if it did -- would I be able to tell?

>

[Guest guest]

I think he's fine. If it was too tight for too long, his head would

have started growing out of the top hole of the band (that sounds

worse than it is, I mean, it's not great obviously, but you would

just see a circular ridge start to develop on his head in the shape

of the opening). The head/brain will grow to the path of least

resistance (just like it did to develop the plagio/brachy in the

first place), so if the band was holding his head too tight, the

only place to go is up. If there are no red marks and you don't

notice any extra ridging on the top of his head that wasn't there

before, it's fine (even if there was a ridge/that wouldn't mean

there would be any neurological damage). I'm glad you went to

another ortho. Do you feel comfortable sticking with her and getting

another StarBand? Please keep us posted.

Jake-20m (tort resolved/rt plagio/DOCBand)

Jordan-4

>

> My son has been wearing his Starband for 3 months and had some

> regression on his plagio (brachy was the primary issue) so I went

today

> to see a new othotist to see what she thought about whether we

should

> get a new helmet or what. When she examined my son, she said his

> helmet was too small and she made me promise that I wouldn't put

it on

> him anymore. (We had just seen my son's regular ortho two days

ago and

> he said the helmet was getting small but that my son could still

wear

> it for a couple more weeks.)

>

> I asked about a million times if she thought that the helmet could

have

> caused any kind of neurological damage because it was too tight

and she

> said she thought my son looked really healthy and seemed totally

fine.

> And she didn't see any lasting red marks on his head.

>

> But I'm freaking out anyway! Obviously a too tight helmet could

cause

> issues. What if it did -- would I be able to tell?

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, and . I'm feeling a lot better

today. It was just really scary to find ut that it was too small

when that possibility had never even crossed my mind. He has

absolutely no ridging anywhere and I never saw lingering red spots,

so I'm just going to move on and forget about it!

I am making an appointment to have him casted for his new helmet

today. I did like the new orthotist -- she seems very experienced

and she went through this herself with her own daughter so she's got

a GREAT bedside manner.

> >

> > My son has been wearing his Starband for 3 months and had some

> > regression on his plagio (brachy was the primary issue) so I went

> today

> > to see a new othotist to see what she thought about whether we

> should

> > get a new helmet or what. When she examined my son, she said his

> > helmet was too small and she made me promise that I wouldn't put

> it on

> > him anymore. (We had just seen my son's regular ortho two days

> ago and

> > he said the helmet was getting small but that my son could still

> wear

> > it for a couple more weeks.)

> >

> > I asked about a million times if she thought that the helmet

could

> have

> > caused any kind of neurological damage because it was too tight

> and she

> > said she thought my son looked really healthy and seemed totally

> fine.

> > And she didn't see any lasting red marks on his head.

> >

> > But I'm freaking out anyway! Obviously a too tight helmet could

> cause

> > issues. What if it did -- would I be able to tell?

> >

>