Plagiocephaly Helmet: Does It Really Help Cure Flat Head?
Flat head is a very common problem. When parents notice and try to find out about it on the web, they are often filled with advertisements for helmets for plagiocephaly . Is this presented as the only real solution to the problem?
But is it really so? I'll answer this question in the article!
What is plagiocephaly?
Plagiocephaly is also commonly defined as newborn flat head . It represents one of the most common problems in the first months of children. In fact, it appears that 48% of children develop one of the postural cranial alterations within the first 4 months of life.
The word plagiocephaly has Greek origins and literally means “ oblique head ”.
It represents a cranial alteration characterized by a unilateral flattening of the occipito-parietal region of the cranial vault. Looking at the head from above, it is possible to notice that a lateral part is more flattened. In the most serious cases, it also leads to a deformation of the forehead as one part will be more pronounced than the other.
However, it is possible to avoid reaching this stage if you intervene as soon as possible. Timeliness is essential to resolve this problem without using a helmet for plagiocephaly .
Types of flat head
As we have said, plagiocephaly is the most common problem. The other two types of flat head are:
- Brachycephaly : flattening of the back of the head due to prolonged supine position;
- Dolichocephaly : Lateral flattening of the head. This results in an elongated head shape.
What causes plagiocephaly?
All the cranial alterations we have talked about are defined as postural because they are caused by incorrect postures. These can be of 2 types:
- Unknowingly implemented by parents : the use of devices such as bouncers and car seats, incorrect positions in the cot or prolonged supine position;
- Performed by the child : usually due to muscle contractures in the neck and back ( myogenic torticollis ).
Knowing all the attitudes that cause postural deformations it is possible to implement all the information to prevent this problem or solve it immediately.
Helmet Plagiocephaly: How Does It Work?
The helmet for plagiocephaly is an orthotic treatment . The main mechanism is to re-establish the asymmetry of the skull by exploiting the moldability and rapid growth of the baby's head in the first months of life.
In fact, the helmet applies a modest resistance to the expansion of the skull in the more developed areas so as to make it expand in the under-developed ones. The empty areas are called “expansion zones”.
In this way, after several months of daily use of the helmet for plagiocephaly, the head returns to being symmetrical.
Thus, the helmet guides the growth of the newborn's skull, allowing for dynamic correction of the head.
The duration of treatment can vary by several months depending on the age of the newborn, the extent of the problem and the assiduity in applying the helmet.
Is a plagiocephaly helmet really necessary?
The plagiocephaly helmet requires constant use (22 hours a day) for several months.
Imagine, however, the bulk for the child. In addition, its cost is a considerable expense for parents. In fact, it has a price of around €1000 !
But is it really necessary?
Based on my experience as a pediatric osteopath , if you intervene within 5-6 months of the child's birth, in most cases the helmet for plagiocephaly is useless .
Furthermore, if plagiocephaly is caused by a muscle contracture, such as myogenic torticollis, the helmet will not solve the problem.
In this case, the intervention of an Osteopath is necessary, who will treat the stiff neck and at the same time intervene with the plagiocephaly. Only in this way will the correct joint mobility be restored and incorrect postural development be avoided.
How to Treat and Prevent Plagiocephaly
If a helmet is not needed to treat plagiocephaly, what should be done?
To best treat flat head in newborns in the shortest time possible, it is necessary to avoid all incorrect postural attitudes.
This is possible by knowing the correct recommendations.
From the awareness of the lack of this information and support for families, my two video courses on plagiocephaly and flat head in newborns were born:
- “ Bye Bye Flat Head ”: to prevent its appearance right away;
- “ How to treat plagiocephaly and flat head ”: to intervene promptly.
However, remember that if the flat head is caused by muscle contractures, it will be necessary to ask for the help of an Osteopath to resolve them. You can find my contacts by clicking here.