Helmet Therapy

When Max was about 3-4 weeks, I noticed that his head was always tilted to the RIGHT. I was so worried about other things like breastfeeding issues, pumping, baby care, depression, and SLEEP that I was hoping he would sort of "grow out" of it.

At about 5 weeks I started to notice a flat spot had formed on the back right side of his head. Being a nurse I am aware of a thing called TORTICOLLIS (basically a stiff neck muscle causing shortening on one side of the neck) and PLAGIOCEPHALLY (basically FLAT HEAD) the occurs as a result of the torticollis in combination with the fact that the baby's skull has sutures that are very movable to help with the birthing process and subsequent massive head growth in the first 2 years of life. Torticollis can occur during the development in the womb (it's cramped quarters in there) or shortly after as they are developing in the first few months of life.

Again, I thought..."He's ONLY 5 weeks. It will be OK." At 6 weeks when we took him into the pediatrician for his reflux and I mentioned his flat head. The pediatrician took a look and noticed that not only did he have a flat spot, but his right ear was almost an inch more forward than his left. So now he had a flat spot AND his ears were completely off. How could this happen to my beautiful little baby. He taught us exercises to do with Max's neck 4-5 times a day. We came home and immediately started the exercises.

2 weeks later we already noticed much improvement with his neck. But his head was still flat. So we went to see a plastic surgeon as recommended by our pediatrician. They told us that he may need helmet therapy. But they said sometimes sleep positioning and the exercises would help with the problem.

We came home and used foam wedges and rolled towels trying to get him to sleep on the other side. But even with the neck exercises... he still favored that right side. Especially when he was sleeping. We would reposition him on his left side with a wedge by his head so he wouldn't turn it right. But that little bugger would move his BODY (yes at 2-3 months) away from the wedge and sleep on his right side. I felt like I was fighting a losing battle.

As he became more mobile and we continued his exercises, he would move his neck all around. He would sleep on both sides of his scalp, Left and Right. But that darn flat spot would not go away!!

So we went through the painful process of getting approved for helmet therapy by insurance. He fortunately was approved because those suckers are expensive! We had his scalp measured by the orthopedist. It was 14.4 mm off on the cross section diagonals. He definitely would benefit from helmet therapy.

Now deciding to do helmet therapy has been hard for me. I know he needs it, and I know he will benefit from it. But the process of making him wear this heavy thing on his head 23 hours a day, while his head profusely sweats, and people look at him strange and wonder if he is "special" is hard. I have been on an emotional roller-coaster this week. I have to make my poor baby wear this thing for 3 months... or longer. I know that is such a very small short period in his life... but right now it seems like forever. It is equivalent to half his life up until now.

I know people are dumb, and crazy, and I will probably have a few fingers pointed at me, and dumb questions. I try to tell myself that I won't care what people think. But obviously I do! He is MY BABY. I wouldn't even be doing helmet therapy in the first place if I didn't care what people thought. So I am just going to have to try and not cry every time people are dumb. What if I did have a special needs child, or something different about myself? I would have to endure a life time of dumb comments. I can do this for 3 months.

So here is my beautiful baby as he gets used to his helmet. So far people have been great! I have had lots of Mom's that have reached out to me because either their own child had to wear one, or someone really close to them did. It is really helpful to have that emotional support.

He is adjusting to it. He doesn't love it, but then again he doesn't cry the whole time it's on. Just putting it on and taking it off makes him very angry. But other than that... he just goes back to playing as soon as it's on.

We are ramping up the process with hours on and then one hour off. Tonight will be the first night he sleeps in it... so we will see how he does.

Max may take his head for granted because heads are supposed to be round... but I hope he thanks me one day because I think this process has been a lot harder on me than it has been on him.