Alexander Reached His Destination!

Alexander is officially done with the helmet and his physical therapy!  His head was rescanned on 07/11/2012.  The cephalic ratio improved from 0.941mm (as measured on 03/22/2012) to 0.885mm.  The oblique diagonal difference decreased from 8.9mm to 5.44mm.  So the final measurements listed above were satisfactory, as confirmed with a visit to the craniofacial specialist.  The improvement the helmet has made over the last few months is definitely noticeable, moreso even to grandparents and those that do not see him everyday. 

Here is an overlay from the final scan – the red line was the head shape on 03/22/2012 and the blue line is from 07/11/2012.

Physical therapy relieved Alex of his torticollis and he now has full motion of his head to his right side.  His head does not tilt to the right like it used to when he was in a sitting position.  In addition to the exercises performed in physical therapy, his neck muscles got stronger as he grew into the crawling positions and now the standing position, which helped fight the torticollis.

We are very satisfied with the results the Starband provided.  That, coupled with the physical therapy, has really improved Alexander’s head shape and range of motion.  Though we are glad to be done with the helmet, Alexander is learning to walk now and sometimes I miss the protection the helmet provided!

 

More Improvement!

We had a check up appointment the other day and Alex’s head circumference improved 3mm! We are at an improvement of 7mm total since he started wearing the helmet! The flat spot is noticably fading away. Hopefully we’ll find out in July that he won’t have to wear the helmet anymore. He still doesn’t seem to mind it too much though he seems to be relieved when it is removed for an hour each night. During this last check up some ventilation holes were drilled in the helmet to try to help with cooling in the upcoming summer months. The helmet is getting a bit icky inside – odor and discoloration – despite the fact we clean it each night. It’s actually a good thing though because the discolorization shows where the helmet is contacting the head.

Alex started crawling this past weekend and he’s even standing up on his own now. I’m glad he has the helmet at times because he’s had a few light falls from loosing his balance where the helmet protected him!

PT is going well. Alex is getting more movement when he turns his head to the right and his movement is faster than it had been. His neck is also being strengthened from all this crawling he is doing now!

Progress!

Alexander had another Starband checkup today. Alexander’s head shape has improved 2 mm over the last two weeks (since the last checkup) and it is noticeably rounding out. He has another appointment in 3 weeks. The helmet still does not bother him but I think he loves the head massages and kisses he gets when the helmet is off for an hour each day. Progress!

My Little Hockey Player

Fixin’ His Flat

Alexander has worn his Starband now for just over three weeks. At his one week check up appointment some minor adjustments were made to the helmet – the edges of the ear cutouts were shaved and the edge of the band that touches the back of his neck was rounded. He does not seem to mind the helmet at all, though sometimes he plays with the back of his ear, as if he were trying to scratch it. Even at the one week mark, there was the slightest noticeable change in the shape of his head.

We just has his 3 week check up this past week and got good news! The Starband has improved his head by 1 mm in all directions since the last appointment 2 weeks ago and we can actually see a good improvment in his head shape so we are moving in the right direction! His 3 month re-scan and re-evaluation appointments have been scheduled for July so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Prior to this last three week checkup, we noticed a red spot developing on Alex’s head where the strip of foam fits between the gap in the helmet where the strap is located. We left the helmet off for about 24 hrs until the redness faded and then put the helmet back on. About two days later, the red spot was back and again we left the helmet off for 24 hrs because we didn’t want a blister to develop. At the 3 week checkup, the foam in this trouble area of the helmet was blended and so far it seems to have helped. Also, we are making sure that strip of foam is firmly seated against Alex’s head to reduce irritation.

Life hasn’t changed too much for us at this point. We take the helmet off for an hour at night at bath time and wash it with baby shampoo. Alex also gets a nice shampoo and head massage during this time. Then we give him lots of kisses and cuddle time! Not being able to kiss him like I can without the helmet on is hard but I know it will be worth it in the end. Alex is becoming more active in rolling around and learning how to sit up so we’ve come to find that the helmet is actually protecting him at times. It will be interesting to see how he handles himself when he doesn’t have to wear the helmet anymore.

Also, Alexander has begun physical therapy for his torticollis. We’ve had two weekly sessions now and I’ve learned some new stretches I can do with him to help him lengthen the muscles on the right side of his neck. Attention-grabbing toys have been very helpful in getting Alex to position his head so he gets a good stretch.

Re-shaping and PT continue!

Helmet Day

Alexander received his helmet today and was fitted! Two weeks ago, his head shape was scanned final and today he received his helmet. So far the helmet doesn’t bother him and he’s just as happy as ever. He will be wearing the helmet for 23h/day for 3 months at which time he’ll have a check up. Pictures to be posted soon. Check back more often for updates as we progress on his journey!

Introduction to Starband

The visit to the orthotics company revealed that Alexander not only had plagiocephaly but also brachycephaly.  In preparation for the measurement scan of his head, a knit “hat” was placed on Alexander’s head and little arrow stickers with dots were placed on his temples, pointing to his ears.  The scanner was a three sided box (two sides and a bottom) with a mobile placed above it.  Alexander was placed into the scanner and I was given a toy that had bright LED lights that spun.  I held the toy directly above his head to capture Alex’s attention thus keeping his head still.  The scan took only a few seconds and the image of Alexander’s head that was created was amazing.  The deformation of his head was so much more obvious in the image than it is in real life.  Alexander was not bothered at all by the scan and was very pleasant throughout the visit.  His measurements indicated that the plagiocephaly was 9-10 mm while the brachycephaly was 95 mm. 

The scan was done for insurance purposes.  If our insurance approves the helmet fairly quickly, the helmet will be made and sent to a local branch of the orthotics company, where Alex will be fitted.  If our insurance doesn’t approve the helmet, we will go back to the orthotics company for another measurement scan as Alex’s head shape may change between now and when the insurance company gives approval. 

In the meantime, we are continuing at-home physical therapy to stretch his neck muscles.  He begins out-patient PT this week.

The Journey Begins

Alexander is our firstborn child.  When Alex was born about 5 days before his due date, he had a slightly misshapen head.  In the next few weeks, his head shape began to look more “normal” but there appeared to be a slightly flat spot on the right back side of his head.  Early on, my husband and I always gave him plenty of tummy time. Yet during his 2 month check up, the pediatrician noted the flat spot and said it would be something to keep an eye on.  We began to place a rolled up blanket behind Alexander when he napped during the day so he laid on his left side.

Four months seemed so far away when he was born but before I knew it, I was in the pediatrician’s office with Alex for his 4  month check up.  His health was excellent and he was strong but still the flat spot remained.  Looking at Alex straight on, the shape of his head looked normal.  But looking down on his head, the flat spot at the back right of his head was noticeable and the pediatrician commented how the spot was beginning to affect the placement of his right ear.  The pediatrician recommended we consult a specialist at the Children’s Hospital to determine if the flat spot was within the treatment range and that we should begin physcial therapy as Alex may have torticollis. 

Three weeks later we were at Children’s Hospital for evaluation.  The evaluation, which included head measurements and movement,  revealed that Alexander’s plagiocephaly was such that helmet theraphy was recommended and that he had torticollis on the right side of his neck.  The torticollis was made apparent by limited movement when turning his head to the right compared to quick and more full movement to the left.  We were shown some exercises we could do with Alex on a daily basis to stretch his neck muscles.  Alexander’s paperwork was sent to an orthotics company and the office called me the next week to set up an appointment.

After the evaluation at the hospital, we began securing a rolled up blanket to Alex’s pajamas while he slept at night, giving him more time in his Bumbo chair and avoiding chairs that had high backs, placing a rolled up blanket under his right side after he had properly been buckled and secured into his car seat to keep pressure off of the right side of his head, placing interesting objects (including us!) on his right side so he had to stretch his muscles to look at the object and giving him even more tummy time than we had before. 

The very next week, I received a call from the orthotics company and scheduled an appointment.  And that leads us to our introduction to Orthomerica’s Starband Helmet…