Helmets for Babies

[melissasmummy]

Just watched a programme on BBC1 (Inside Out, I think!)& there was a family on there who have spent £1000.00 on a special helmet for their son as he had a mis-shaped head. (this is v popular in America, according to the presenter)

The helmet is supposed to stop the growth in the wrong places & encourage the skull bones to grow in a more "normal" shape.

Possible the reason for the flat side was the "back to sleep" campaign.

Did anyone see the programme? What are your opinions?

I didn't see the programme but a local family was recently doing a lot of fundraising to buy one of those helmets for their baby. It might even have been the same one? In the end they raised enough for a couple of extra helmets so other children could have one too. I don't know about the science involved but I found it very sad that this wasn't available on the NHS.

Apparently as it is deemed cosmetic it won't be funded by the NHS, from what I understand.

Dd had quite a pronounced flat part on the back of her head for a while when she was little. Sorted itself out when the fontanelles closed and she stopped sleeping on her back all the time.

DS had very flat head on each side because he was born at 27 weeks and so is very very common in very premmie babies

Anyway is is now shaped normally apart from a bump at the back but as long as his hair is long enough no one notices

plagiocephaly

cranial remoulding orthosis