Do I need a helmet to see improvements?
Hi all,
My nearly 4.5 month old baby has torticollis and a flat spot on his preferred side. It’s mild to moderate and he has some facial asymmetry (ear is further forward).
He’s had PT and osteopath treatment from 12 weeks and we’ve been doing everything we can at home to follow the recommended stretches and advice around repositioning.
Recently we had a bit of a break through and he has almost all of his range of motion now. Which is such a relief!!! BUT I’m not sure what to expect in regards to his flat spot.
So my question is - do we need a helmet to fix the flat spot or will it ‘sort itself out’?
Our PT seems to think it will sort itself out (but I think this might be because we’re in the UK and I’ve seen the nhs doesn’t recommend helmets anymore). We would have to go private to get a helmet.
I’ve seen a small improvement with his head shape but I’m really worried about what result we can realistically expect without a helmet. Will he always have one ear further forward?
During the day he spends time on both sides but at night he always sleeps on his flat spot no matter what we do. We follow safe sleep so options are limited of course! I worry this reverses any progress we make in the day.
I’m not against a helmet if this is the only way for his flat spot to even out. But i do feel upset at the thought of him wearing a helmet for a long time - especially if it can be avoided for similar end results.
Please share your experiences because I don’t know what to do for the best!
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I have no advice or anything on this issue, but I am praying you get the answers you’re seeking! ❤️
My wee one had a flat side from a scm tumour and torticollis.
We did all the physio and repositioning exercises that we could and he got his full range on motion back. He’s always been a good sleeper and slept on his preferred side all night.
Our physio and health visitor both said it would likely get better on its own.
We made an appointment with Technology In Motion and they did the scans and consultation.
We were rated severe.
At no point did it seem like a sales opportunity, our consultant was amazing.
He had the helmet on from the end of January to the end of August and it has made such a difference.
You could see the difference after only a couple weeks.
Once we had finished our helmet therapy we finally got our appointment through for the children’s hospital and although they can’t say anything about it the doctor did say it was a big change.
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