To Helmet or Not to Helmet???

Hi – My daughter had a helmet for 3 months due to her asymmetry. When she was 6 weeks we found out she had Congenital Torticollis (a shortened muscle in her neck). We immediately started physical therapy and her range of motion improved dramatically over the next few months. By 6 months she had 95% range of motion but her head was flat on one side and her forehead popped looked crooked on the opposite side. I kept thinking it would be fine once she got some hair but my husband wanted to fix it. Her pediatrician said that she had moderate asymmetry and he sent us to Dr Trumble, a neurosurgeon in Orlando. He basically told us that it was cosmetic and that insurance probably would not cover the helmet. ($2,000) In addition we were told that if we didn’t do anything she could round out on her own a bit, but if we waited much longer we wouldn’t be able to get the best results with a helmet. I was very upset and didn’t want to do it. I even told my husband that if our daughter had to wear a helmet I wasn’t leaving the house with her. I didn’t want people to ask questions and stare at her. After speaking with another mom in the Dr’s office she made me feel better. She said that the results outweighed the anxiety of having the baby in the helmet. She said that in the first week the results were just amazing. After crying….for hours I decided to do it. I am so happy we did!!! After the first week it was such a noticeable difference. I guess I never noticed how misshapen her head was before the helmet. After 3 month we took the helmet off and our daughter has a round head now.

The advice that I can offer is that the time goes very fast and it is much worse for you then it will be for your son. People did ask questions…when people would say what’s wrong with her? I would simply say that her head wasn’t round. Most people would accept that and keep moving. I did notice that people would look at my daughter with very sympathetic faces and then look away from me. I can only imagine what they must have been thinking. My father kept saying that I should tell people I was afraid of dropping her on her head, LOL! If you decide to get the helmet I suggest that you take if off when your son eats. It stains easily and even rubbing alcohol won’t get it off. It is a huge commitment for you and your husband. Going for fittings once a week for the first few weeks and then about every 10 days after that.

Hi J. - The other 3 moms agree to do it. My 3 children were born with 2 square-ish bumps in the top/back of their heads. It is really hard to describe, we, jokingly, told friends that it is where we filled their horns down. My oldest 2 are girls are lucky as theirs did round out over the years and both have mid-long hair. But my son however has a buzz cut/short hair and even now at 9 still has some squareness to his head. When he gets up in the mornings that hair in the area of his head is always parted and flat. I wish I had known about the helmet when he was a baby I would have tried it - depending upon the cost involved if the insurance did not pay.

Good luck with your decision, think of the long term effects on your son. My son gets teased sometimes - kids are SO VERY cruel to each other in elementary school, people do not teach their children to accept each other for who they are (regarding differences).

M. F

If this is only cosmetic I would not put my child through that. They want the helmets off and don't understand why they have to wear it when others don't.

my daughter wore it at 5 months for next 3-4 months. it isn't as bad as it sounds. they get used to it. you just have to clean the helmet with alcohol every time you take it off for that one hr (bath). time goes fast plus my daughter's head got a great shape. she's 4 and a half now and we still have the helmet. we did it through the miami cranial technology. my advice is do it but don't delay because i think after 12 months of age it does not work, it needs to be done while they're less than one if i remember correctly.

My daughter, now two, also wore the helmet for about 2 and 1/2 months. I am very glad we did it as she had torticolis, as well. We went to Dr. Stelnicki in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. Her head is near perfect.

I can agree with the other mothers who expereinced looks and sympathy. But it truly is amazing how quickly it works. We have had great results!

My son (now 5 1/2) had to wear a helmet and I am so glad we did it. His was noticeable and had even started to push his right brow forward. He would always sleep with his head turned to the right and everything just squished forward. If you looked at his head from above it was not good. Also with boys, since they dont normally wear their hair long like girls, it can be even more noticable. Luckily, insurance covered most of it. He had no trouble wearing and keeping on the helmet. You do have to decide fast because I think somewhere around 1 1/2 years old, not much more can be done since the skull is not as pliable. The place we went to was near downtown Orlando, I think right off of Kaley Ave and they were fantastic. I hope this helps.

Hi, J.!
My daughter wore the helmet for three months. It was no big deal. In fact, we drove up to Disney the day she got it on. It never seemed to bother her, and it was great protection when she crashed into the coffee table, which happened a lot. The only disturbing thing about the helment was peoples' reactions. People would approach us at restaurants, parks, etc...and make the strangest comments. I still notice the assymetry in her face, but it was much worse before the helmet. Good Luck!

Hi J.,

My daughter was diagnosed with torticollis, developmental delays, and a few other issues when she was born. We traveled to Miami where she was fitted for her helmet and wore it for about 7 months. This was not just a cosmetic issue for her as her eye sockets and ears were very misaligned and doctors were concerned with potential vision and hearing problems. She was almost 8 months when she was fitted and did not have any problems leaving the helmet on. I was a little freaked out in the beginning but it was not a big deal. It actually saved her from bumping her head several times and got me out of a traffic ticket for an illegal u turn (didn't see the sign at all!!! ) :) :) As for peoples reactions, I didn't let it bother me as I knew that people can be nosey but that it was temporary and for a good reason. Unfortunately my insurance did NOT cover it, which was really hard, but medically necessary for us and according to her doctors. Her head is still a little "funky" and her sunglass sit a little crooked, but we are happy that we did it. Our daughter never seemed to mind it....even through the summer when she got pretty hot (just make sure to clean it). We are happy with our decision and wish you the best!!