For any of you moms out there that had a helmet baby, did you have doubts? My 5mo received his helmet yesterday. We noticed at 2mo that he had a flat spot on right side. At his 2 month visit the Dr. strongly suggested physical therapy for his torticollis, weak muscles. After a few PT sessions he was declared strong enough to no longer be seen. They suggested we do the excercises at home. We did. At the next Dr. visit he was referred to a specialist. After much research and debating we decided to get him into a helmet. We figured a handful of months was okay considering he would appreciate it when he is older. He's going to have his daddy's thin hair so it would definitely show. Now that he has it and going through his adjustment wearing days I'm wondering if we jumped the gun. Perhaps it will correct on its own. And this may seem selfish but I will miss rubbing his sweet soft head. And giving it kisses all the time. We're going to stick it out for him. I just hate this lingering doubt.
Thanks to all who answered kindly! We are going to keep it on him as I said. We know it's for the best and he won't remember any of this. We've followed the doctors advice and our own instincts on this so far. It just breaks my heart to see the sweat pouring off of him which we are trying to resolve. And he hasn't slept in it yet but I know for me I have a hard time sleeping with my hair in a ponytail. I couldn't imagine sleeping in a helmet. But babies are surprisingly tough cookies. The input given here sheds any little doubt I was having. And to those who seem to be focusing on my missing kissing the top of his head. Come on now. I'm not making this about me. It was just a mom expressing a little bit of sadness. I'm sure all adjustments will be made in a week or so and I'll giggle about feeling that way.
This is not my direct experience, but a friend's daughter put her child in a helmet. Yes, she was sad she couldn't rub her baby's head, but the few months went quickly and they are thrilled that they stuck it out. The longer you wait to do it, the harder it will be. If it doesn't correct on its own, you can't go back to this time and do it when the child's skull is easiest to work with.
The back of my DD's head is flat, because I followed her doctor's advice (2 different doctors...) and didn't get her the helmet when I had the chance. I noticd the issue aroun 6 months, and was told to wait and see. We moved, and I brought it up to the next doctor who also said to wait. He kept telling me it would correct itself; which it never did, even after I became almost fanatical about not letting her sleep/lay flat on it.
Now she is 5... You can't really tell unless she wears her hair a certain way, and it is purely cosmetic... But I have a REALLY hard time finding helmets she can wear, no headbands will stay on her, glasses have to be super flexible or they push into her skull too much. I REALLY wish I had gone with my gut and gotten the helmet. Better to fix it now, when his skull is still growing fast enough to shape. To fix my DD's at this point would require surgery... Too traumatic for me to go for. (Not to mention expensive...)
I guess I don't understand. YOU miss rubbing his head so you think putting a helmet on him to make a flat bone go away MIGHT be a mistake?
If your specialist suggested the helmet, I would go by what they recommend. They see a lot of heads and will know whether it will correct on it's own or not. Better safe than sorry - I agree.
One of one mine had torticollis and back then they considered helmets at 6 months (here anyways). This was a number of years ago. So we had 4 months to do physiotherapy and change up how he sat, slept and was held (nursing and in general) to see if we could correct it. We were evaluated at 6 months and did not require a helmet. But we certainly would have had they told us it was necessary.
I am sure it's hard having him in the helmet but they don't tend to recommend unless they feel it's in your baby's best interests. I would rest assured knowing you are doing the right thing :)
Hang in there. You'll be back to rubbing his sweet head in no time:)
I'm sorry, but the lingering doubt is based on missing rubbing his sweet soft head? I don't understand.
You need to be able to make decisions for your child that are in his own best interests and not yours. Stop second guessing the doctor here.
I think you made the right choice. I know a few people whose babies had helmets and none thought it was as bad as they expected it to be. All noticed a significant improvement in head shape.
I have the opposite experience - we asked our pediatrician a couple of times if she thought our son needed a helmet and she said no. I didn't push because I was vain at the time and didn't want all his baby pics to have a helmet in them. Now he is eight years old and his head is STILL a little flat on one side, definitely noticeable if you're looking for it, but not if you aren't paying attention. I really regret not pushing harder and not getting the helmet. I think he would have benefitted and I was stupid to worry about how it looked.
I don't know about the helmet, but I do know about Torticollis. It seems very very odd to me that he was done after a few sessions. I would see another PT and get a re-evaluation because that just seems way too fast. Both my nephew (now 17) and my son (4) had it and they both did PT for at least a year! And that was with the exercises we did at home too! I do know that if you don't get the neck muscles, the face will fall to that one side and the child will look "off" for the rest of his life. My brother's best friend had a child the same time as my nephew and they didn't do therapy for him. He looks "odd" and always will. I don't think the helmet will do enough to strengthen the neck muscles. You also have to work the chest to balance holding the head/neck up. I will say that both of our boys have no sign of the Torticollis left at all. I am sorry for the adjustment period to the helmet, but you are right, it is worth it later!
They suggested it or our son.
We did a lot of research.
When I finally asked the doctor if this was purely for esthetic reasons & he
said yes, I immediately ditched the idea & did not get the helmet.
did my best to keep him on his side w/an infant wedge, held him more, propped him on my belly while I was in a recliner. Just for bits of time, not all
night etc.
And guess what? His head started evening out. Filling out. You can no
longer see the flatness at all. Plus, like I said, it started filling out.
I just thought it was a bit cruel to put him in the helmet for 23 hours a day
when it would be purely for ethetic reasons. My husband was pratically
bald. I all worked out. So something to think about. You can always
ditch the helmet now. Good for you for wondering & for considering all of
your options. Best wishes.
