Prevention and Treatment:
Studies show that 18 to 28 percent of infants are diagnosed
with Plagiocephaly. However, there are preventative methods and products, such
as the cradle, which can reduce the susceptibility for an infant’s skull to
develop a cranial asymmetry.
Repositioning: An infant’s skull is incredibly
flexible in its growing stages prior to cranial maturity. This makes it
vulnerable to risks of flattening while placed against any surface for long
periods of time.
To avoid this, some medical experts recommend a technique
called “repositioning,” which simply means alternating the infant’s position to
evenly distribute the gravitational pressures on a growing skull.
Suggested means of repositioning include encouraging infants to
respond to toys and stimuli equally on both right and left sides. If flattening
becomes apparent on a certain area of the infant’s head, parents should
encourage a position in which the flattened portion of their child’s head is
not in contact with any surface. Also recommended is to have an infant spend
time on their stomach, which must be supervised for safety reasons.
While
repositioning is often considered the most conservative means of
treatment for any cranial asymmetry for children less than 6 months old,
the effectiveness of these methods have not been well demonstrated in
study. If repositioning is considered, then parents, and their
pediatricians , must pay close attention to any changes, so not to delay
the intervention of proven treatments.
Cradling: the cradle is a conservative and effective means
of preventing and/or treating cranial asymmetry. The cradle is recommended for
use with children that are zero to three months of age, and must be immediately
discontinued once the child has aged past three months, or exhibits the ability
to roll over.
The cradle provides infants with a contoured sleep surface
which supports the base of the child’s head, enabling symmetrical cranial
growth. Used within the first three months of a newborns life, this cradle
serves as a preventative tool against the possibility of needing to treat the asymmetry with more aggressive means, such as a
corrective helmet. As this orthotic device is only distributed by licensed
physicians, a prescription may be provided upon parental request.
Course of Cradling Care:
Prevention and/or treatment, using the PlagioCradle, consists
of the following steps once the prescription has been
written:
- In
order to determine whether cranial asymmetry is present, or if the
child is at risk of developing asymmetry, an initial evaluation by a
trained and licenced specialist must be performed.
- Primary
evaluation, fitting & cranial scan appointment- the orthotist will
provide information concerning repositioning methods, cranial asymmetries
and the cradle. Measurements and a 3D scan will be taken of the infant’s
head using infant-safe lasers and cameras.
- Follow-up
appointments as necessary throughout the treatment period
- Concluding
appointment for discharge and final scan
Helmeting:
If your childs treatment/prevention plan has not started before three
months of age, it is possible that helmeting will need to be prescribed.
A corrective helmet is constructed from
layers of closed-cell foam covered by a light-weight plastic shell. The
different layers of removable foam enable the orthotist to remove the
foam as
the child’s head continues to grow and mature. The design of the helmet
makes
contact with the bulging areas of the child’s head, while enabling the
flattened areas to grow in a normal, rounded fashion. This corrective
helmet is
typically prescribed for children who are three to 18 months of age
diagnosed
with any form of cranial asymmetry.
The normal prescription time for use of the helmet varies as
it depends on the age and degree of the cranial asymmetry in each child. The
usual wear time is 23 hours a day for a duration of three to four months. After the
initial meeting with the orthotist, a treatment plan specific to the child and
their diagnosis will be created.
The course of corrective treatment with the helmet consists
of the following steps in chronological order:
- Primary
evaluation (typically an hour long) and cranial scan
- Secondary
appointment after one to two weeks from the original visit for fitting.
- Follow
up appointment every two to four weeks throughout the treatment period
- Concluding
appointment for discharge and final scan
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