Re: medical risks to the DOC band?

[Guest guest]

Hello

I am afraid that the whole issue is not as simple as many people from the 'helmet field' want to present it. I am in the same situation as u, my baby boy has moderate brachy and am currently trying to understand what is best for him. I have also spoken to neurosurgeon and paediatricians and they have said the same, it has no side effects/it does not apply pressure/ it is completely safe. The truth is that, yes it does not apply active pressure but by holding the prominent areas, it applies passive pressures (civil engineers like me probably understand better the active and passive pressures concept). I found this very interesting article from Paediatrics-Official Journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics (Management of Positional Skull Deformities: Who Needs a Helmet?, W. Stallings, Arthur Persing, D. Rappo, Arthur Persing, Lanzkowsky and Arthur Persing, DOI: 10.1542/peds.113.2.422, Pediatrics 2004;113;422-424), where it says:

....Although there are no data that suggest that the use of cranial-remodeling devices leads to direct intracranial injury, it is difficult not to speculate that the application of steady pressure, for an extended period of time, to a cranial axis with some deformable and nondeformable structures would not have some potential effect beyond simple reshaping of the infant head. Such speculation would seem to suggest a potential research alliance between pediatric generalists and specialists and mechanical engineers with an understanding of fluid dynamics. As the number of children with this condition continues to increase, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its potential guidance for future research endeavors will assume a level of paramount importance...

Have a look at the whole article if u want, i found it very useful. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/113/2/422

My husband is also a doctor and is very worried about those pressures applied on the head and thinks that if a child is neurologically ok, parents should not take any risk through helmet treatment. I on the other hand, because i feel guilty for the positional deformation i caused to my baby i want to make my baby's head as normal as possible so am still considering helmet treatment.

I want to ask to the parents, did any parent with flat head syndrome notice any motor and/or cognitive delays as mentioned in the following article? In that case, helmet treatment will prevent or cure such delays which are linked to the flat head syndrome? And has any parent noticed any change during helmet treatment (neurological, behavioural etc)?

Article: New study possibly links cognitive and motor delays with 'flat head syndrome' in young babies

Published: Monday, February 15, 2010 - 01:21 in Health & Medicine

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/02/15/new.study.possibly.links.cognitive.and.motor.delays.with.flat.head.syndrome.young.babies

Maybe i should start a new topic with this question. Let me know what u have decided If u cannot access the articles i can send them to u.

> >> > We're going tomorrow for a consultation at Cranial Tech, for my 5 1/2 month old son who has mild to moderate brachy. I'm wondering about whether anyone has information or articles they can direct me towards, on what are the medical risks of the DOC band? My main concern is, can it affect brain development since it's putting pressure on the skull. Is there any way it could limit the baby's brain growth? I know they check it regularly and adjust it etc, but still -- is there a risk? Thanks for any insights and for pointing me towards any studies to check out!> >>