7 Mo. Old W/ Plagiocephaly: Any Opinions on Cranial Tech Vs. STAR?

I am not familiar with STAR, but my son is currently wearing a DOC band from Cranio Tech and I can honestly say our experience with them has been 100% POSITIVE! I would highly recommend going with Cranoi Tech. The office is very child-friendly and the staff is willing to answer all questions you may have...at ANY time. One of the staff, Mindy, actually lives here and McKinney and said she's willing to make "house calls" if you need anything after office hours. Oh- and they call the DOC band the baby's "crown." I thought that was cute.

As far as the adjustment, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easily the babies adjust. I swear my son acts like he doesn't even know it's there. Since day one, he has not been bothered by it. Not once. It does cause some sweating, though, so you'll want to dress cool for a while. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me or call me.
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Hope this helps!
S.

My 7 mo old daughter has Plagio also and we used Cranial Tech. We chose there vs STAR because the doctor that referred us had more experience using the casting than she had using STAR. We felt more comfortable going with what she new best. We were also diagnosed at Childrens (CranioFacial Clinic). We've had the band for 3 weeks now and are seeing improvement. The casting is not a fun experience but it's over in less than 15 minutes so looking back it's not as bad as it seems in the moment. I'm not as familiar with the STAR band and laser measurements so I can't speak for that. You can find LOTS of information if you join the Plagiocephaly Yahoo Group. Let me know if you have any more questions or even if you want to meet us and see the helmet and pictures of her casting.

Hi C. I have a 5 year old son that used the DOC I would recc DOC the whole way. I would be happy to get together with you let you look at his beautiful head and talk to you more about our process. It is wonderful the laser technology is great too. If you have not gotten enough advice and have any quetions please email me or you can call me on my cell ###-###-#### we live in Mckinney.
B.

We used Cranial Tech about a year and a half ago and was VERY happy with the personnel and our treatment. They were also very helpful navigating the insurance process.
If I remember correctly the difference between the two (CT and STAR) is that STAR is part of a larger network, and they service other othopedics other than just cranial bands. At Cranial Tech, they only do cranial bands and are trained on that specifically. I got my info from the plagiocephaly yahoo site, they had a compare and contrast article.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Plagiocephaly/?yguid...

My daughter wore her band for 3 months and we had very few problems. I highly recommend putting your child's name on the band w/ paint pen or stickers. My daugher loved it when people in the grocery store would come up and call her by name!

Good luck! FWIW, for us, the hardest part (aside from paying for it) was the diagnosis and deciding on the treatment. Once she got her band, it was no big deal at all.

C.
SAHM to a round-headed 21 month old

We had our consult with Cranial Technologies today. I was concerned about a slight flattening on one side of my son's head. My husband never even noticed it. I just wanted a second opinion. I am a pediatric Occupational Therapist as well and needed someone else to look at it and give me an honest opinion. Jennifer saw him and she was GREAT. She showed the area to my husband and said it was mild. She would band him if it bothered me enough, but she didn't think it was necessary. Now here is what impressed me. The bottom line is that they sell a product. She could have told me that he needed it and I would have done it. Product sold. However, they aren't just there to make a buck! Very refreshing in my business! Highly recommending Cranial Tech!

My son had a DOC band and we went to CranialTechnologies. They were awesome. Great customer service and they REALLY worked with our insurance to get them to pay for it. Sometimes insurance companies want you to go through someone like hangar but I don't recommend that at all because from what I've heard they do not do the casting and it makes a huge difference. My son got his when he was 8 1/2 months old and wore it for 3 months with excellent results. The younger they are the better. They sweat alot in it so make sure to towel dry his head periodically. We lowered the temperature in our house to keep him comfortable. I hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to email me. Patsy

My daughter had a DOC band from about 7 months to 1 year. We went through Cranial Tech and were very satisfied with the results. She is 5 now and I believe all they did was the plaster molding at the time. It was not easy, but they are quick which is good! She had to wear hers during the summer months and she had a really sweaty head anyway. During the hour she kept it off, I would clean it VERY well and then set it out in the sun to dry. Seemed to help on odor. Other than the sweat, she really had no problems w/ it. She adjusted easily and it amazed me how many times the helmet saved her from hitting her head on furniture.

As for the looks you get from people, yes they do look and wonder what is wrong with your child (unless they know what the band is for). Also, since the Egyptian conjoined twins had them and they were all over the news, I think more people are aware. I did not get Anna's decorated for fear of drawing even more attention. Thankfully, the child has no idea. It is only the parent that worries.

We spent some time at Children's for CT's, MRI's, etc. and I remember thinking as we walked around and saw so many kids with such severe problems, I am so very blessed that this band is the only thing we have. It will go away soon. I tried to keep perspective on the large scale. So many kids have issues that will never be resolved.

I was also VERY quick to discuss it and the reasoning for it w/ anyone that asked. I had a lady stop me in a store once and asked about it. She was so thankful I was doing it b/c she had a flat head when she was a baby and nothing was done, to this day she said she was self conscious and had a hard time getting a good haircut!
If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know and I will help if I can.

We went to Cranial Tech and did the plaster molds. The molds aren't as bad as they sound. Just make sure your appt time is when your baby is rested and it's around feeding time - you can give them a bottle while they do the front part. Amy was our therapist - she's wonderful. As for adjusting - you'd be surprised - after the inital day and all of the red spots have been dealt with, they hardly notice it at all - they only weight like 6 oz - but they are HOT in the summertime so the sooner you start the better!

My son is 7 1/2 months and we are setting up our appointment for the molding for next week. We are going to Cranial Tech. I am really nervous about how he will react and the comments from other people. Please let me know what you find out and I will do the same.
Good luck.
Patricia ____@____.com