Parents who have children with positional skull flattening often decide to have their child wear a corrective helmet. Helmet holding therapy is a treatment where an infant wears a special helmet to correct the shape of their skull. These helmets are made out of a hard plastic shell with foam lining that is custom made to each child. This design helps keep pressure off the flat spots and helps the head naturally round itself out. These helmets are typically worn for 8-12 weeks for at least 23 hours a day, during both sleep and play time.
The infants that are typically urged to wear a helmet have a condition called Plagiocephaly, which is when just one part of the head is flatter than the other. There are several causes to Plagiocephaly, but the most common is called torticollis, which is when the infant has a shortened muscle on one side of the neck. This causes the child to turn their head frequently to the same side but a corrective helmet can help eliminate these problems. Brachycephaly, a condition when the back of the head is flattened, producing a wider portion of the skill in the back than the front, can be caused by craniosynostosis, a rare closure of the skull sutures before a baby has fully developed. Without adequate time in different sleeping positions or tummy time, the back of the head can be flattened and abnormally widened, but this can be fixed by the use of a corrective helmet.
Whether or not your child should wear a corrective helmet is a difficult decision, so it’s important to know the benefits and the best course of action to take for your little one’s noggin.
Learn more about our Cranial Remolding Helmet services here.
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