The Cranial Therapy Centers Blog

Getting The Right Cranial Therapy For Your Baby

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When a mom takes her baby for their first visit to the pediatrician there are feelings of excitement mixed with much anxiousness. The doctor begins to tell you all about what you need to know for raising a newborn, but deep down all you want to really hear is that your baby is normal just like everyone else’s. As the pediatrician glides his fingers through the jet black hair which he got from his dad, the doctor feels a slight flatness on the baby’s skull. The doctor compares one side of the head to the other and determines that one is slightly misshapen then the other. Now my anxiety turns into fear about the unknown and a whirl of questions begin to fill up my mind. Just then the doctor turns to me and says that this a common condition which is referred to as  flat head syndrome or plagiocephaly.

From that moment I started doing my research and came across many cranial therapy centers of all whom afford plagiocephaly helmets. I was not so keen of the idea of my adorable Logan wearing a helmet when eating, sleeping, bathing, or visiting family. I continued to explore the topic and wanted to know if plagiocephaly is dangerous and what are the methods of treatment. Interestingly enough I found that early intervention can actually prevent my baby from having to put on a flat head helmet. My problem was that every place I called told me that all they provide is helmet therapy.

When Logan turned one month old I met a friend of mine at the grocery store who was wearing orthopedic sneakers. This girl was always wearing the latest shoes from top designers which is why I spurred the question on her. She also happened to know of what I was going through with Laura since we chatted mornings and evenings. As we were both sorting through the fugi apples she mentioned to me that she saw a brochure in her orthopedics office for a cranial therapy center in Ocean County which offered both helmet and manual therapy treatments. She did not have the number so I went back to her doctor’s office and retrieved the brochure myself. Then I gave them a call and scheduled an appointment and in just 8 rounds of therapy the curvature of Logan’s head was consistent with no deformities.

How does early intervention work when a baby is diagnosed with flat head syndrome?

Most providers do not offer physical therapy because there is in one slight secret they don’t want patients to know which is that they make money on the baby therapy helmets. It’s a sale of a device rather than a weekly visit to the orthotist. With the the right physical therapist early intervention can prevent the more complex deformities and also limit the duration of time a cranial helmet is worn only when medically necessary. Ultimately it’s the parents choice of which route they want to go but the earlier your baby is seen by an orthotist the greater the chance for your baby not having to wear a helmet.

Does Medicaid cover helmets for babies?

Yes, depending on if your provider accepts Medicaid and how it reviews the evaluation will determine your coverage. Any evaluation which shows a minimum level of deformity of the skull will be covered by Medicaid. If the helmet is being used for cosmetic purposes and there are no true deformities chances are Medicaid will not cover the cranial helmet.

My doctor told me that plagiocephaly is not dangerous, what happens if I don’t treat it?

It’s almost certain that someone can live a normal life without having been treated with manuel or helmet therapy. However, it’s been clinically proven that the babies with plagiocephaly have slight developmental issues. On January 2017 the JDBP or Journal of Developmental & Behavioural Paediatrics published a white paper on the coronation of Plagiocephaly and Developmental Delay. The findings were that plagiocephaly is a marker of elevated risk of developmental delays. Flat head syndrome can hamper the way your child picks up on the basic building blocks of education.

Besides for this element there is another social element which should play a role in the parents decision to treat or not. A slight deformity on one’s head can trigger possible bullying by classmates when they pickup on this. You want to give kids the best shot when it comes to friends in school. With a short period of treatment parents can make an impact of a lifetime for their children.

What does torticollis have to do with plagiocephaly and how does one effect the other?

Torticollis is clinically known as Congenital Muscular Torticollis or CMT. It involves the slight tilt in a babies head which stems from the weak muscles in the neck. Over 87% of a sample size with a median age of three that had a CMT diagnosis also had incurred plagiocephaly. This is due to the fact the both torticollis and plagiocephaly both stem from the same symptom which stimulates these conditions. Most of these cases are rooted from a poor or infected sternocleidomastoid muscle which has either been damaged or shortened. This impacts the way the baby holds his or her head and ultimately assists in developing bad sleeping habits which creates a muscle crutch and position preference. Once the baby gets into a negative rhythm it almost certain that the soft head of a newborn will receive more pressure and ultimately result in a slight misshapen of the head or clinically known as plagiocephaly.

Early intervention therapy helps train the baby to use the poor sternocleidomastoid muscle and build  up its strength to evenly distribute proper balance to the head. Once the therapist can help change the habit of the baby by building up the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the poor positional component will dissipate. Naturally we humans like to move their weight around when sleeping or in a static position due to discomfort. Babies with torticollis want to switch positions due the discomfort but are lacking the strength to do so.

Can a weekly or bi-weekly visit fix the issue?

There is no case that is the same but with a great physical therapy team and a vigilant parent the issue can be fixed. When you leave the facility its vital that you continue working with your baby to build up the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This might mean working on more tummy time and being more cognitive on switching up the positions of your baby. Here is an example of a mother coming home from Walmart with her baby still strapped in the infant seat. She can either address the issue by putting away all the home supplies with her baby safe and sound in the infant seat or take the baby out and place them on a blanket with tummy time and then proceed with unpacking the Walmart bags.

I see images of babies with full helmets and others with partial band helmets. Whats the difference?

There are two types of brands which are offered when it comes to plagiocephaly helmet therapy, DOC Band and STARband®. DOC band offers a sleek helmet design which wraps around the head and applies pressure to the area of baby’s head which requires helmet therapy. It comes in a variety of prints and looks pretty neat in that a significant area of the head is left exposed which makes it more comfortable for the baby. STARband is a helmet which fully encompasses the entire head of the baby with a circular hole at the dome point for heat to escape. This helmet addresses all the aspects of the helmet therapy in that it addresses all sections of the skull in unison. There is one helmet which is adjusted throughout the therapy to get your baby that perfect head shape. DOC Band leaves room for the pressure to be slightly elevated which may result in the need for multiple helmets throughout the therapy. If you are covered by insurance it may not make that much of a difference but if you’re not you have to anticipate the cost of an additional helmet or helmets.

There is also another difference with the evaluation of a STARband helmet through the use of a STARscanner. This is a pain free scan of the baby’s head which gets the exact head measurements in just seconds. The simple scan reduces the stress on both the child and parent.

The good news is that both torticollis and plagiocephaly can be safely and effectively treated. It may take three to six month of therapy but it will last a lifetime. Physical therapy for baby flat head helps change the negative habits which were incurred due to muscle weakness. Of course you need to understand the anatomy of a newborn’s neck on how to properly treat them. Not getting professional treatment can ultimately lead to a more serious neck injury. That’s why its important to get seen at a cranial therapy center which offers both manual and helmet therapy. You just might intervene early enough to avoid helmet therapy entirely.

Cranial Therapy Centers is the only early interventions cranial center in the United States which provides both helmet and manual therapy treatment. We are American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics Facility. Visit us in Lakewood NJ, at 1352 River Ave Unit 14, Lakewood NJ, 08701 or in Teaneck NJ at 1086 Teaneck Road Suite 3F, Teaneck, NJ 07666. You can also email us info@cranialtherapycenters.com

If you think that your child may require treatment, please contact us