Misshapen Head

Do something now. They're most flexbile as babies because they're growing so rapidly at this point. After 1 year old, it most likely will never completely go away. My friend's twins had to have these cute little helments (they look worse than they really are! the boys quickly didnt mind them)

I have a friend's son who had the same thing. They went to their pediatrician, got a referral for a specialist and he had to wear a special helmet to reshape the head. You need to get it taken care of, or there could possibly be some physical problems later on.

I am not sure if this will help or if you are even into this sort of thing. but there is something called craniosacral. It is a form of massage without the massage but all the benefits. It is more of an unwinding of patterns of of "stuck" areas that the body has acquired. I have known a few moms who have used this method for something as a misshapen head to a clogged tear duct. I would research this farther if this appeals to you.

Both of my children had a flat head. My daughters we were able to fix on our own by rotating her into differant postions. My sons is alot more severe and we are acutally waiting for his helmet to be made, he should get it on in the next week or so. I got a referal from his doctor and went to the hanger office. It took a really long time for my insurance to approve it so if I were you I would do something fast. It took about 2 months for them to approve it.

I would talk to your pediatrician about this. Our daughter had a slight turn in of the head (torticolis left) and was a little bit misshapen (we couldn't even see it). We went to two sessions of physical therapy and worked with her at home. See what your doc says and if it is an issue, ask to see a therapist/specialist. Our therapist said these issues can be impotant as it can affect future development (writing, walking, etc.) Good luck!

Now is the time to do something. His parents need to talk to their pediatrician about it and the pediatrician should be able to give them a referral to have it evaluated. My son's head was misshapen, but his developed after birth due to tight neck muscles. He had to wear what is called a DOC Band for about 6 weeks. We are lucky we caught it when we did, the older the babies are the longer they have to wear the Band. We are priveleged in this area to have a DOC Band facility right in Phoenix. Some people drive or even fly to bring their children for service. It is really a wonderful thing and helped my son immensly. It is usually just cosmetic, meaning their is no internal damage to the brain, etc. but it can cause vision and hearing problems later on if not addressed. It is important that they talk to their pediatrician right away, if the pediatrician is not responsive than they need a new pediatrician!! The company we went through was called Cranial Tech. You can do some research on the web - under Cranial Tech or under DOC Band. I will also gladly share any more about our experience with the Band if you like.
K.

I'm sure someone else will tell you details, but I have two grandchildren that have had "helmets" (they are soft) on their heads for several months to reshape their heads. One of them found out, to their dismay, that you have to do it before they are one year old, or the insurance company will not cover it. They both look great now.

My son's head is flat in the back. Who knows why but that's the way it's been since birth. Our doctor said it would shape out eventually but we could try to get him sitting up as much as possible to help eliviate the pressure on his head. We bought him a Bumbo seat...he doesn't like it too much but we still put him in it as much as possible. He is 5 months old and he is starting to get a little bit of shape.

My Son had a similar issue, it is called "plagiocephaley" and was referred to a company CranialTech that prescribed a Doc Band. He was about 5 months old at the time and wore his for about 5 months and it did wonders. His head was not only flat on the back but it sat crooked on his shoulders and all of that was fixed with the Doc Band. It looks like a helmet, and each week we would go in and they would update the inside shape of the helmet to guide his head to the proper shape. He wore it 23 hrs a day, and he had no issues with wearing it (i.e. did not fuss and got used to it very quickly). You can go to www.cranialtech.com for more information.

My son actually had a defect when he was born, which caused his head to be misshapen. His plates were fused together. Talk to the pediatrician!!! You may be able to prop his head and roatate it so that it can try to round out on his own - but you need to check and see if he has something more severe. If you need suggestions on how to position him to keep him off the flat spot, send me a message. My son had to have parts of his skull removed, so we had to be very careful not to accidentally cause a flat spot.

Here in Arizona we have cranio technologies, you can check them out more on their website http://www.cranialtech.com/. My son had a misshapen head that was from birth and I am so thankful we did it. You have to get a referral from your pediatrician to get an evaluation. The evaluations are free and some insurance companies will pay for the DOC band. My son had a mild case so we had the DOC band for less then 3 months but again it was the best decision. If you have to pay you pay one fee for the DOC band and all the adjustments are of no further cost. The techs at the clinic were great.

While there are helmets they have manufactured that supposedly help such a problem, I would seek Cranio-sacral and/or polarity therapy for him. It is painless and is very effective for many things. Sometimes, time is also all that is needed.

K., I'm not a dr. and you should ask your dr. to be sure there's nothing wrong, but after that, I've seen a lot of misshapen heads that simply eventually "normalize" themselves. For some it takes longer than others, but I don't recall ever seeing a misshapen head on an adult. If ears stick out too much, that can be corrected. My son's head was very flat on both sides and appeared elongated, because he was always laying on his side. I started putting him on his back more and it just straightened itself our. You could try putting your baby's head on the part you want flattened,for sleeping, and that helps, too, I think. Good luck!

It sounds like your son has Positional Plagiocephaly. It can be caused by positioning within the womb, or by spending alot of time lying on his back or side. In babies the skull is still "soft" since the sutures are not fused at the top of the head (this is how they are able to squeeze that big noggin through that itty bitty hole during birth). Talk to your doctor about getting your son a specially made helmet which he will wear for most of the day -it's fairly lightweight though - to help realign the plates in the skull and to help it round out again. Generally, it only takes a few months for the helmet to help reshape the head. Most places that make them provide you with a choice of colors and cute designs to make the helmet look more like a hat.

M.
Early Intervention provider

I have quite a few friends whose children have misshapen heads. Three in fact. They all had to get helmets for their children because of developmental delays. Hanger prosthetics was the best place for them to get theirs. He needs to go to the doctor, if the doctor has concerns then you should get right on it.

Hi!

While helmets seem to be all the rage (and they do work to correct head shape), I agree with checking in with a cranio-sacral therapist first as a misshapen head will affect the soft tissue underneath the bone. Cranio-sacral care will help to correct the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid that is within that tissue (which is important to future growth and health). Frequently, this will also allow the bones to reshape appropriately on their own. It is gentle and easy on the child, too. Some osteopaths do this technique, but so do some chiropractors, and some physical therepists. If you'd like the name of one, let me know.

My Son had that too- they should check with his peditrician for a refferal to Crainal technologys- If it is minor they can to neck exercises to help with posistional issues or get a DOC band 9 a corrective helmet worn 1 to 7 months. the earlier you start the better results

My son had some head shape issues from in utero, not positioning. It did improve on it's own to a point and he was diagnosed with plagiocephaly when he was 7 months old and started helmet therapy when he was 8 almost 9 months old. The great part was that he was done with the helmet by 18 1/2 months, which was just about the time he figured out how to get it off.

Our pediatrician was hesitant to diagnose this. It was a physical therapist who came out to do an eval for something unrelated that encouraged us to "do something about this now." I am thankful that we met her when we did. We worked with a great Orthotist in our area. Now at 2 years, he has a beautiful little head.

my friends little girl had the same problem and the doctor had her wear a special helmet to get the shape back to normal. If she doesn't address it at the right time then there could be a deformation in the face as well. Their doctor should address it if they are taking him in for regular check-ups. Good luck.

Hi
There is an appliance that helps shape the head....helmet like...the earlier it is put on while the child is growing the better. Ask your pediatrician for a referral, there are experts in this field and it works.
A. r mom of 3 and a nurse

An Osteopathic Dr with a specialty in Cranio-sacral work is the perfect place for your son.
This CAN be fixed and quite easily. Try Dr. Theresa Cisler in Tucson.
My son had a similar situation and this process was perfect for him.
It doesn't hurt at all, in fact it's quite gentle and relaxing.

You want to get this fixed asap while his head is still easily manipulated.

After reading the responses, I would like to suggest you speak to this Dr before you get the helmet. I believe this can be done without the helmet.
Good Luck
The Mommie Mentor

Hi. There is something that they wear like a plastic helmet in baseball..I think it is nicknamed "crane"..My little niece had to wear one..she hated it at 1st..I can find out for sure if you do not get the info from another reply..just did not want to repeat the same info. =) Your regular doctor would know where to refer you to. HTH =)

A good friend of mine also had to have her son placed in a helmet to help shape his head back. You would need to talk with your doctor about it first and then they can tell you if they think they need it. Most insurance companies do not cover this helmet because they feel it is cosmetic.