6 Questions About Your Child's Plagiocephaly Treatment Answered
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When your child is diagnosed with plagiocephaly, it’s natural to be worried. Fortunately, there’s really nothing to be worried about! Not only is plagiocephaly easily treated, it should be a smooth, trouble-free experience for you and your child. Here are some common concerns that you can cross off your worry list.
1. Will my baby be able to sleep?
Yes! Plagio helmets are designed to allow your baby to sleep comfortably, while keeping pressure off the flat areas to prevent further flattening and allowing the head to grow into a more symmetrical shape. Vidhi Pandey’s daughter Vara wasn’t sleeping through the night yet when she started wearing her Boston Band. It took Vara about a week to get used to sleeping with the helmet, then she began sleeping through the night. “She has been sleeping 12 hours at a time since then,” said Vidhi. “Now I fear that once the helmet comes off she won’t sleep through the night anymore!”
2. Will the helmet cause my baby to experience pain?
No. Neither plagiocephaly itself nor the treatment for plagiocephaly cause the baby any pain. When treating plagiocephaly with the Boston Band, think of it as wearing a helmet as you would when riding a bike—the helmet doesn’t cause any pain.
3. Will wearing a helmet upset my baby?
The helmet won’t be uncomfortable physically, and while there may be a period of adjustment, if you make wearing the helmet a positive experience for your child, they’ll pick up on your demeanor and treat is as a fun experience rather than a stressful one. According to Vidhi, though Vara didn’t like the helmet at first, now she doesn’t even notice it. “Once we take it off she itches her head a lot,” she said, “but settles down in a few minutes.”
4. Will having plagiocephaly affect my child’s mental development?
There is no known connection between plagiocephaly and brain development. If left untreated, plagiocephaly can affect the shape of the head and may in some severe cases lead to issues with jaw alignment and vision, but it should not affect normal brain development.
5. Does a plagiocephaly helmet affect my child’s head growth?
Corrective helmets like the Boston Band are prescribed to gently and gradually reshape the baby’s head. Plagio helmets act as a mold to enable the flattened areas to grow in a normal, rounded fashion by keeping pressure off the flat areas so the baby’s head becomes more symmetrical. The foam can be modified over time to allow for growth and does not exert pressure on the skull, so it will not affect the normal growth of your child’s head.
6. Will wearing a helmet make people treat my baby differently?
The truth is, most of our plagio patients get overwhelmingly positive reactions because they look so cute in their helmets! “I was afraid people would look at her and think she has some abnormality or problem with her brain, but on the contrary we have gotten a lot of positive attention,” said Vidhi. “Whenever we go out, people often tell us about someone they know and love who also wore a helmet and the success they have had. Most of all, she looks super cute in it, and everyone agrees.”