Re: Re: New to Group - Hip Displacement. Also, any fellow Canadians?

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Thank you so much for your response to me post/email. Sounds like things are going relatively well with your son. I'm sorry to hear though that you are experiencing issues now with the second Starband. I hope things get sorted out soon. I'm from BC and there is only one clinic out here that everyone in BC is referred to in Surrey, BC. I understand now that they have their own custom design helmet, and use the cast molding process. The Scanning sounds like an interesting thing though. Sounds a lot less invasive. The custom design that they do is similar in design to the Docband. I find it interesting at the different types of helmets out there and the fact that in BC their is only one Orthotic place to go to. If you live far from the Lower Mainland here in BC then you sure have a long way to travel to get the help that you need. I am one of the fortunate ones that doesn't have to travel

far. All the best in your journey too! valleymomma <shelldolan@...> wrote: I am from Canada my son had his first appt at 7 months, it wasfrusterating waiting all that time for the appt but once they saw him & how severe he was things moved fast infact I was in the very next day tohave his head scan it takes 30 seconds (does your hospital use astarscanner?) the band came back 10 days later to be fitted (usuallyabout an hour long appt at my

hospital).My sons plagio & torrticollis were both from birth as well, we did alot of physio for the tort & its so improved infact barley noticable towhat it was we saw great improvements once he was in his starband. Hedoes have delays but its really hard to say if its from the treatment ornot .We are on our second starband having some issues but I will not get intothem here in your thread.Good luck with your jorney I am from Calgary AB>> Hello I'm new to this group and I live in Canada. I'm just> wondering if there any other fellow Canadian's out there who are> going through the headbanding experience with their child?> Wondering also if there is a difference between what happens in> Canada vs the USA regarding the

headbanding or the type of helmut.> I do searches on the internet and always wonder if the information I> see there can be applicable to us here in Canada.>> My son is now 9 1/2 months old and we are waiting for our first> appointment with the Orthotist this Wednesday (today is Monday). We> first started noticing flattening of his head on the left side when> he was about 5 months (can't completely remember?). At his 6 month> check up, our GP reffered him to a Pediatrician for his flattening,> and then after assessment from the Pediatrician we were reffered to> Children's to see an OT, and now we have set the appointment with> the Orthotist which has taken 2 1/2 weeks to get in. That's 4 1/2> months later. Anyways, perhaps this is normal, and I think they> wanted to wait it out to see if there were going to be any> improvements before they jumped the gun with it

all.>> Anyways, my son's story is that he had a hip displacement when he> was first born and he wore a full-body brace to help heal his hip> displacement which he wore 23 hrs a day for the first 2 1/2 months> of his life. (It was a difficult delivery with him and they had to> use the vacuum to get him out. He was really stuck.)> He also seemed to have Torticolis and would only turn his head to> the left, hence the flattening on the left side.>> I am nervous about his appointment on Wednesday and praying that the> whole experience will not be too traumatizing for him. I am not> looking forward to the cast molding process at all. But I hear that> it goes quick. I am also afraid of skin irritation with the head> band as he deals with excema at times. Is there anything that can> help with trying to prevent irriations, or are they inevitable, and> you just deal with

them as they come?>> I am also wondering if people have noticed any developmental delays> in their children as a result of wearing the helmut. My son is 9> 1/2 months old and just sitting now and still slightly unstable at> it. He's a big kid - 24 lbs. I hear that some kids who are bigger> don't begin to crawl until later on. Will the helmut cause it to be> a bit more delayed? Every kid is different I understand, but I am> just wondering other's experiences with this.>> Anyways, a loaded message I know. I'm looking forward to doing some> more reading of the many posts in this group. Perhaps some of my> questions are already answered there.>>> Shari> Mom to:> Nolan - 9 1/2 months> Olivia - 2 1/2 months>Shari

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Thanks for your response! We had my son's appointment with the Orthotist and it went well. Although it was a difficult to see him go through the cast molding process, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He did very well. Turns out that since my son is 9 1/2 months and due to the degree of correction needed, he most likely will have to wear it until he's about 18 months old. He has both Assymetry and Plagio. My understanding is that the window of opportunity is much better when they are about 4-8 months. I'm sure there may be differing opinions on this. Ultimately they want to catch it when development is the greatest in terms of growth. Nolan is a big boy 24lbs at 9 1/2 months and I can see that his growth has slowed down somewhat in the last while. It makes me nervous that we won't get the results we hope for with the band. We live

in Canada, specifically British Columbia near Vancouver. There is only one clinic in all of BC to go to (near Vancouver) and thankfully we live fairly close so it's not much of a drive. BC is a fairly large province in Canada, and some may have to travel a very very long distance. Adjustments are every 3 weeks and I can't imagine driving all that way. We need more clinics out here!! The awareness and education needs to get out there too! We had some problems with my daughter (now 2 1/2 yrs old) with torticollis and flat head as well, but that seemed to correct itself somewhat, but I still see some flatness. At that time I had never heard of babies developing flat heads. It all came as a total shock to me. They tell you to sleep your baby on it's back and also to give tummy time (which I'm positive most babies hate), but I wish they had gone further to educate me on

potential problems with them being on their backs all the time. Being a new mom, how do you know. I feel silly now that we are now having worse problems with my second. Torticollis and Hip-Displacement were contributing problems. I feel like I'm trying to justify my son's problems, and somehow feel to blame. I don't want to be judged by others, none of us do. I must come up with some response to tell people when they ask. Does anyone have any brilliant lines that they give people without going into too much explanation with those that don't know you well? Anyways, out here in BC, there is only one type of helmet, and that is a "custom" one, they make it right there at the clinic. As I mentioned, they use the cast molding process to design the helmet. I know that the medical system out here has different regulations than the US and I am told that there is a

bit more freedom with the type of helmet they can design. Our next appointment will be next week Thursday for a trial fit, then the following week we will be getting the helmet. christineashok <christineashok@...> wrote: Hi Shari,welcome to the group. I'm american, but will tell you what I remember.I remember several parents getting helmets from Sick Kids Hospital inToronto. I think it is their own helmet vs one of the more popularbands (such as DOCband,Starband or Hanger).

Unfortunately your story of a slow start is pretty normal, I thinkeven more in Canada than in the US. It is too bad because helmetsusually work more quickly when children start at a younger age, sincethe head is growing faster. However you should still see correctionstarting at 10 mo. Where are you getting your helmet? What kind willit be? As for delays I think kids are just different. My daughter was alsobig, but not as big as your son (she was around 90th percentile and 26lbs at 12 mo). She was on time or early for all her milestones.However, delays seem to be a little more common when tort is present.Did your son receive PT for tort? If not you should ask for areferral to someone who specializes in infant tort and have himevaluated to see if therapy is needed.My daughter was scanned so we didn't have to go through the castingprocess, but I think it is usually over quickly. Most babies adaptwell

to the bands. Sometimes a few extra adjustments are needed atfirst to get the fit right. After a few weeks it becomes part of yourroutine. Let us know how your next appointment goes.-christinesydney 2 yrs starband grad>> Hello I'm new to this group and I live in Canada. I'm just > wondering if there any other fellow Canadian's out there who are > going through the headbanding experience with their child? > Wondering also if there is a difference between what happens in > Canada vs the USA regarding the headbanding or the type of helmut. > I do searches on the internet and always wonder if the information I > see there can be applicable to us here in Canada.> > My son is now 9 1/2 months old and we are waiting for our first >

appointment with the Orthotist this Wednesday (today is Monday). We > first started noticing flattening of his head on the left side when > he was about 5 months (can't completely remember?). At his 6 month > check up, our GP reffered him to a Pediatrician for his flattening, > and then after assessment from the Pediatrician we were reffered to > Children's to see an OT, and now we have set the appointment with > the Orthotist which has taken 2 1/2 weeks to get in. That's 4 1/2 > months later. Anyways, perhaps this is normal, and I think they > wanted to wait it out to see if there were going to be any > improvements before they jumped the gun with it all. > > Anyways, my son's story is that he had a hip displacement when he > was first born and he wore a full-body brace to help heal his hip > displacement which he wore 23 hrs a day for the first 2 1/2 months > of his life.

(It was a difficult delivery with him and they had to > use the vacuum to get him out. He was really stuck.) > He also seemed to have Torticolis and would only turn his head to > the left, hence the flattening on the left side. > > I am nervous about his appointment on Wednesday and praying that the > whole experience will not be too traumatizing for him. I am not > looking forward to the cast molding process at all. But I hear that > it goes quick. I am also afraid of skin irritation with the head > band as he deals with excema at times. Is there anything that can > help with trying to prevent irriations, or are they inevitable, and > you just deal with them as they come?> > I am also wondering if people have noticed any developmental delays > in their children as a result of wearing the helmut. My son is 9 > 1/2 months old and just sitting now and still slightly

unstable at > it. He's a big kid - 24 lbs. I hear that some kids who are bigger > don't begin to crawl until later on. Will the helmut cause it to be > a bit more delayed? Every kid is different I understand, but I am > just wondering other's experiences with this. > > Anyways, a loaded message I know. I'm looking forward to doing some > more reading of the many posts in this group. Perhaps some of my > questions are already answered there. > > > Shari> Mom to:> Nolan - 9 1/2 months > Olivia - 2 1/2 months>Shari

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