Showing posts with label positional plagiocephaly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label positional plagiocephaly. Show all posts
Monday, August 13, 2012
Helmet chronicles conclusion and follow-up
Right, so during my extended hiatus from blogging, The Little Ninja completed his helmet therapy. That was in January. We are VERY PLEASED with the result. The Little Ninja's head is no longer triangular/noticeably asymmetrical. Also, he can wear normal hats. And that's the real win, isn't it?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Helmet Chronicles: progress and setback
So you know how we were having so much trouble getting The Little Ninja to sleep with his helmet on at night? We totally solved that.
It seemed that the problem was mostly that he didn't want the helmet back on after his bath. My brilliant solution: bath him in the morning and since the helmet doesn't seem to bother him once it's been on for a bit, we now just NEVER TAKE IT OFF. At least, not in the evening before bed. And you guys, it worked like a charm! He sleeps! With the helmet!
And you know what else?! The helmet guy measured his head at the appointment on Saturday and IT'S ALREADY IMPROVING! Seriously, after just two weeks, and those not even full-time! Yay!
So obviously, after good news like that and much applause for my fabulous solution to the sleeping problem, it all had to go wrong.
The Little Ninja has a fever. And since he needs to be able to get rid of the heat, we have to keep the helmet off until his temperature returns to normal. So far, the helmet's been off for two days already. 2 DAYS!
Two days of mostly sleeping, on his back, no less, possibly making his flat spot worse! Not to mention that the poor little sucker obviously doesn't feel well. And that he isn't allowed at the daycare with a fever so I'm babysitting and not working. I hope the fever goes away soon, so The Little Ninja feels better and we can put the helmet back on. It doesn't work lying on the shelf, after all.
It seemed that the problem was mostly that he didn't want the helmet back on after his bath. My brilliant solution: bath him in the morning and since the helmet doesn't seem to bother him once it's been on for a bit, we now just NEVER TAKE IT OFF. At least, not in the evening before bed. And you guys, it worked like a charm! He sleeps! With the helmet!
And you know what else?! The helmet guy measured his head at the appointment on Saturday and IT'S ALREADY IMPROVING! Seriously, after just two weeks, and those not even full-time! Yay!
So obviously, after good news like that and much applause for my fabulous solution to the sleeping problem, it all had to go wrong.
The Little Ninja has a fever. And since he needs to be able to get rid of the heat, we have to keep the helmet off until his temperature returns to normal. So far, the helmet's been off for two days already. 2 DAYS!
Two days of mostly sleeping, on his back, no less, possibly making his flat spot worse! Not to mention that the poor little sucker obviously doesn't feel well. And that he isn't allowed at the daycare with a fever so I'm babysitting and not working. I hope the fever goes away soon, so The Little Ninja feels better and we can put the helmet back on. It doesn't work lying on the shelf, after all.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
The Helmet Chronicles: fitting and adjustment period
Today The Little Ninja got his helmet.
When we first arrived at the orthopedic store, we were given a cup of coffee (or in my case, tea) and went into the fitting office, where the model of The Little Ninja's head was revealed complete with helmet. We were instructed how to wash it and what to expect and given suggestions for how to 'break it in', or get The Little Ninja (and us) used to him wearing it.
The fitters had made a yellow foam model of his head and then filled up the less round bits to shape a nice, symmetrical, round head. The helmet was built on this model of The Little Ninja's ideal head. It restricts growth where his head is already protruding, and leaves space for it to grow out to fill the ideal head mold.
At first, the helmet was too long, covering his eyes and not leaving enough space for his ears. The technician marked this and then milled/ground/filed the helmet to the right shape. Once he was happy with the shape, he sanded it all smooth. It was interesting to watch. Then he put on the helmet one last time before packing it up for us to take home (with the ideal/comparison head mold inside).
We were told to take The Little Ninja home and put the helmet on him for just 15 minutes the first time, when he was fed and rested and had his familiar toys in his familiar environment to distract him. We were told to act normal so he would understand that the helmet was normal.
After we took the helmet off the first time, The Little Ninja's head was completely soaked with sweat. After just 15 minutes! We dried him off and wiped off the helmet and then an hour later we put the helmet on again, this time for half an hour. We did it! We all survived. And to be honest, I think the helmet's cute. I'm happy with the 'ice age' pattern and am already glad we decided to do this.
Tomorrow we start the adjustment period - one hour with the helmet on, one hour off. This'll be mostly The Recyclist's responsibility as I will be heading downtown for my review/writing session and dinner afterwards.
We go back in two weeks for fine-tuning or can make an appointment sooner if we have any problems or see any pressure points.
Here's hoping the adjustment period continues as well as it began!
When we first arrived at the orthopedic store, we were given a cup of coffee (or in my case, tea) and went into the fitting office, where the model of The Little Ninja's head was revealed complete with helmet. We were instructed how to wash it and what to expect and given suggestions for how to 'break it in', or get The Little Ninja (and us) used to him wearing it.
The fitters had made a yellow foam model of his head and then filled up the less round bits to shape a nice, symmetrical, round head. The helmet was built on this model of The Little Ninja's ideal head. It restricts growth where his head is already protruding, and leaves space for it to grow out to fill the ideal head mold.
At first, the helmet was too long, covering his eyes and not leaving enough space for his ears. The technician marked this and then milled/ground/filed the helmet to the right shape. Once he was happy with the shape, he sanded it all smooth. It was interesting to watch. Then he put on the helmet one last time before packing it up for us to take home (with the ideal/comparison head mold inside).
We were told to take The Little Ninja home and put the helmet on him for just 15 minutes the first time, when he was fed and rested and had his familiar toys in his familiar environment to distract him. We were told to act normal so he would understand that the helmet was normal.
After we took the helmet off the first time, The Little Ninja's head was completely soaked with sweat. After just 15 minutes! We dried him off and wiped off the helmet and then an hour later we put the helmet on again, this time for half an hour. We did it! We all survived. And to be honest, I think the helmet's cute. I'm happy with the 'ice age' pattern and am already glad we decided to do this.
Tomorrow we start the adjustment period - one hour with the helmet on, one hour off. This'll be mostly The Recyclist's responsibility as I will be heading downtown for my review/writing session and dinner afterwards.
We go back in two weeks for fine-tuning or can make an appointment sooner if we have any problems or see any pressure points.
Here's hoping the adjustment period continues as well as it began!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Helmet Chronicles: Introduction
Today we had an appointment at a nearby hospital. It was a kind of intake interview for The Little Ninja and The Recyclist and I as his parents.
See, when he was about 2 weeks old, we realised that The Little Ninja had a flat spot on his head. At the back, to the left. From above, his head looked kind of triangular. Technically, this is called positional plagiocephaly. The flat spot may have been formed by his position in utero, by his 'assisted' birth, or by a preference to turn his head to his left in those first two weeks. He certainly did prefer to face slightly to the left, but I'm not sure whether that was because there was already a flat spot there, so his head just rolled into that position or because of something else, causing the flat spot. In any case, we mentioned it at our one-month Well Baby appointment and the doctor gave us some exercises to do with The Little Ninja, to try to encourage him to turn his head to the right.
At the two-month Well Baby appointment, we mentioned it again and the doctor referred us to a physiotherapist. She measured The Little Ninja's head and how misshapen it was. This is given a score on the ODDI - Oblique Diameter Difference Index. 100% would be a perfectly round, symmetrical head, which, obviously, no one really has. 100 - 104% is considered round. 104 - 108% is slightly misshapen but will probably resolve with physiotherapy. Above 108% is not likely to resolve on its own and justifies helmet therapy. The Little Ninja scored 107% at 2 months, but the real measurement would be at 5 months. This was just to give a frame of reference. The therapist gave more exercises and we made regular appointments to check the progress.
We quickly broke through the left-side preference, but the flat spot remained. No longer lying on the flat spot, a bulge appeared under the flat spot making The Little Ninja's head look somewhat less triangular.
At 5 months, the physiotherapist measured The Little Ninja's head again. After three months of turning his somewhat triangular head to the right, strengthening his neck muscles with exercises, and giving him time on this tummy so that his flat spot could grow out, he now scored 111% on the ODDI.
I don't know exactly how that happened. Maybe the first measurement was wrong, maybe the bump under the flat spot is actually worse than the flat spot, I don't know, but his head is somehow more deformed now than it was three months ago.
Which means The Little Ninja is getting a helmet. Our next appointment is on Tuesday, when they'll make a complete 3D model of his head in order to make the helmet.
Thus begins The Helmet Chronicles...
See, when he was about 2 weeks old, we realised that The Little Ninja had a flat spot on his head. At the back, to the left. From above, his head looked kind of triangular. Technically, this is called positional plagiocephaly. The flat spot may have been formed by his position in utero, by his 'assisted' birth, or by a preference to turn his head to his left in those first two weeks. He certainly did prefer to face slightly to the left, but I'm not sure whether that was because there was already a flat spot there, so his head just rolled into that position or because of something else, causing the flat spot. In any case, we mentioned it at our one-month Well Baby appointment and the doctor gave us some exercises to do with The Little Ninja, to try to encourage him to turn his head to the right.
At the two-month Well Baby appointment, we mentioned it again and the doctor referred us to a physiotherapist. She measured The Little Ninja's head and how misshapen it was. This is given a score on the ODDI - Oblique Diameter Difference Index. 100% would be a perfectly round, symmetrical head, which, obviously, no one really has. 100 - 104% is considered round. 104 - 108% is slightly misshapen but will probably resolve with physiotherapy. Above 108% is not likely to resolve on its own and justifies helmet therapy. The Little Ninja scored 107% at 2 months, but the real measurement would be at 5 months. This was just to give a frame of reference. The therapist gave more exercises and we made regular appointments to check the progress.
We quickly broke through the left-side preference, but the flat spot remained. No longer lying on the flat spot, a bulge appeared under the flat spot making The Little Ninja's head look somewhat less triangular.
At 5 months, the physiotherapist measured The Little Ninja's head again. After three months of turning his somewhat triangular head to the right, strengthening his neck muscles with exercises, and giving him time on this tummy so that his flat spot could grow out, he now scored 111% on the ODDI.
I don't know exactly how that happened. Maybe the first measurement was wrong, maybe the bump under the flat spot is actually worse than the flat spot, I don't know, but his head is somehow more deformed now than it was three months ago.
Which means The Little Ninja is getting a helmet. Our next appointment is on Tuesday, when they'll make a complete 3D model of his head in order to make the helmet.
Thus begins The Helmet Chronicles...
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