Does your baby have a flattened spot on his or her head?
WE BELIEVE IN A TEAM APPROACH as the most effective way to meet your child’s healthcare needs. It is important for the Parent, Pediatrician, Physical Therapist and a Certified Orthotist, specially trained in cranial helmets, to have open and ongoing communication regarding the best care for your child.
Your Pediatrician or Physical Therapist can give you strengthening and stretching techniques to consider before moving forward with a helmet; however, if a helmet is needed, EastPoint Prosthetics and Orthotics offers the most advanced technology in cranial remolding helmets through kinderBAND™.
kinderBAND™ was designed by experts with over 80 years of clinical expertise. Through the use of their own BioScanner™ technology, kinderBAND™ trained experts, such as EastPoint, are able to take a scan of your child’s head in less than 30 seconds, while the child sits comfortably on your lap!
This cutting edge technology is comfortable, fast, safe and accurate! Even with a helmet, parental teamwork is still required to ensure ongoing physical therapy, regular helmet check-ups and monitoring by your pediatrician.
Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics wants to help you navigate the decision of whether or not your child needs a cranial remolding orthosis. We believe that education is paramount and want you to be comfortable with whatever decision you make. We have a passion for kids and we love doing helmets!
The three most common types of misshapen heads are plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and scaphocephaly.
Below is information regarding each, including descriptions and causes.*
This describes flattening on one side or back of the head, usually with flattening on the opposite front side of the skull. Plagiocephaly is often accompanied by a misalignment of the ears and facial asymmetries. Plagiocephaly is thought to be caused by force on soft skull bones, such as a restrictive intrauterine environment, back sleeping with the head always rotated to one side, or extended use of baby positioning devices (i.e. infant swings and bouncy seats). Plagiocephaly is also seen in conjunction with torticollis, a tightening of the muscles on one side of the neck. Torticollis causes the head to tilt and rotate with limited motion in the opposite direction.
This describes flattening uniformly across the back of the head, causing a wider and shorter skull shape. Brachycephaly can be caused by sleeping on the back.
This describes a long, narrow shape, with flattening on the sides of the head. Scaphocephaly is common in premature babies who spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Physical Therapy: For babies under 4 months of age, physical therapy and such positioning techniques as “tummy time” during awake hours can be effective in correction. Physical therapy is particularly important if the baby has torticollis and/or developmental delays in conjunction with plagiocephaly.
Cranial Remolding Helmets: If no improvement is noted after physical therapy and positioning techniques, and in the absence of craniosynostosis (a birth defect that results in sutures closing earlier than normal on a baby’s head), your physician may recommend treatment with a cranial remolding helmet. As much as 85 to 90 percent of postnatal cranial growth occurs in the first year of life, with closure of the sutures occurring by the end of the second year. As a result, treatment with a helmet is most effective and most rapid if initiated between 4 and 12 months of age. Infants can be treated with a helmet at 12 to 18 months of age, but there is less correction and a longer treatment time.
Additional resources for strengthening and tummy time tips can be found at www.kidshealth.org.
“We had such a good experience with Brent and everyone at EastPoint. Our son had a helmet for four months and at each visit everyone was so welcoming. Every aspect of care was wonderful. They took the time to address financial concerns, answer our questions and explain how the helmet was helping [our son] at each appointment. Our phone calls were always answered or returned, and it was just so clear that they wanted to see [his] head improve. And boy did it! Brent is just amazing and so knowledgable. We highly recommend EastPoint!”
– A. Strombotne
“I’d highly recommend EastPoint to any parents needing a baby helmet!”
– D. Canada
*The information and advice contained in or made available through this website are for educational purposes only and not intended to replace the services of a health professional or be a substitute for the medical advice of physicians.
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