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flat head syndrome -Plagiocephaly

9 replies

lizzie2013 · 23/04/2016 15:00

hello, my son is now 7 months old has was diagnosed with plagiocephaly, basically a flat head to one side. he was diagnosed 2 months ago and although it seems to of improved slightly we are now deciding if we should buy a helmet. Our GP said it would improve in time but I know it dosent always correct itself. Has anyone in the group had experience on this ??
thanks

OP posts:

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GinandJag · 24/04/2016 19:01

My DS had this. No treatment and quickly grew out of it.

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Micah · 24/04/2016 19:04

Theres a reason the nhs dont fund helmets- because they're a waste of money.

Flat heads resolve by about 3 years old, with no intervention needed. It will improve as he gets more mobile too.

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onemoremummy · 24/04/2016 19:11

There was up until about a year ago (when I was looking into this) no robust evidence that they worked. That doesn't mean that they don't work - it just means that more studies are needed before an institution like the NHS would consider the extraordinary costs of paying for them.

My son had mild plagiocephaly. At 4 1/2 months I bought the clevamama pillow and it did improve over time. Now that he has more hair you could never tell.

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meffhead · 24/04/2016 19:13

Our DS is 6 and his head is still flat on one side... Can't see it with hair!

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bigTillyMint · 24/04/2016 19:16

Meffhead, I know a child with this who is a bit older. I take it that you don't feel it has caused any issues with his behaviour/learning?

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campfan · 24/04/2016 19:27

My son had it very severely- his head was a parallelogram
At 8 it is only slightly noticeable and it is getting better every year.
I certainly would not waste money on a helmet
His flat head has had absolutely no effect- he is 2-3 years ahead in reading/maths and an excellent all round sportsman.

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campfan · 24/04/2016 19:29

Check he hasn't got a torticollis which is stopping him from moving his neck freely, causing him to prefer to sleep on one side

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Lalalili · 24/04/2016 19:40

I disagree and would try to correct it. Our teenage dd's has never resolved completely. It's covered by hair so not noticeable on her scalp. However it is noticeable in her front teeth, which slant to one side, and very slightly in her facial features (one eyebrow raised and one eye socket appears smaller). No big deal, but I feel bad that we basically dismissed the problem when everyone said that it would resolve itself as she grew. If we'd tried the helmet and it didn't work, at least I'd know that we'd explored all options.