According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 50 percent of babies are affected by plagiocephaly or better know as as flat head syndrome. The condition can be caused by a variety of reason but the two of the more common ones are congenital muscular torticollis, or excessive positioning of the infant on its back. It’s become accepted by pediatrician’s and parents to lay the baby on its back which causes pressure on their soft skull which often develops minor deformities. These can sometimes be noticeable while in other cases be hidden by position or good hair coverage. However, what definitely does standout is when parents choose to treat their child with helmet therapy (a pain free therapy in which the child is fitted with a cute adorable cranial helmet). Mom and Dad might incur a little embarrassment for a short period of this boy or girls life but they will definitely thank you for it one day (What can happen if my baby does not undergo treatment?).

Changing parents perspective on helmet therapy through celebrities  

On Tuesday morning, December 4, 2018, famed American model and author, Christine Diane Teigen posted a picture of her and her adorable baby laying on her chest wearing a cranial remolding helmet. Teigen’s fan club was excited to see her babe and were even more interested as to why he was wearing a helmet. She explained that it was a head shaping helmet and no one should feel bad for him wearing it. In just seven days the Instagram post got 1,527,928 likes. 

baby miles getting fitted for a little helmet today for his adorable slightly misshapen head. so if you see pictures, don't feel bad for him because he's just fixing his flat and honestly he's probably gonna be even cuter with it somehow

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 3, 2018

An amazing phenomenon is occurring through celebrities and social media. People are becoming aware of the benefits of treating flat head syndrome and the importance that it plays in the life of the child. For the past 10 years doctors and parents have been questioning the treatment of plagiocephaly because it does not pose a danger to the child. The baby will be able to live a perfectly normal life just his or her head might have a slight flat spot on it. From a medical point of view they may or may not be correct (though recent studies have shown that babies that were not treated for plagiocephaly had encountered certain learning disabilities) but one thing we do know for sure is that cosmetic defects definitely do impact a child’s life. For example, a child maybe the target of potential bullying due to the flat spot on their head. Giving your child a the advantage to be in the best social position will benefit them greatly. It might just make the difference of a girl or boy getting asked out on a date or simply getting an invite to a friend’s house.

Not only is helmet therapy becoming socially accepted it’s making the decision to treat that much easier. One of the main reasons why parents avoid treating flat head syndrome is due to the comments or looks they might get when going on an outing or the next family event. When seeing Christine Teigen’s baby is wearing a remolding orthotic device it will definitely have a positive impact.

In May 2017, American TV personality, Meghan King Edmonds posted a picture of her adorable baby girl wearing a head shaping helmet. That post didn’t get as many likes as Teigen’s, but it portrayed a sense of pride of doing the best for the child. Meghan display showed to other mothers that there is nothing wrong with your baby wearing an orthotic device. One can personalize and decorate the helmet giving it a fun and pretty theme. It’s all about a parents attitude, does he or she build on the positive or choose to focus on the negative. Mom and dads should know that this may just be the greatest and most selfless gift that you will ever give your child.

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Mom and me 2.0 ❤️ (this is my dad's office and my first modeling job in cosmo is beneath?)

A post shared by Meghan King Edmonds (@meghankedmonds) on May 1, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

At the Cranial Therapy Centers we often have to educate parents on the social aspects of a baby in a helmet. We explain to them the benefits and how the treatment is gentle and pain free. We recommend not to wait in getting your baby evaluated. In most cases we can implement early intervention therapy which avoids wearing a cranial helmet altogether. When celebrities like Christine Diane Teigen and Meghan King Edmonds pridefully display their children in cranial helmets, we can guarantee that other parent going through a similar situation will now make the right decision in treating plagiocephaly.