Baby Tom was born in January. He was a beautiful child in every sense, with a lovely round head. Tom's parents wisely chose to put Tom to sleep on his back, in order to avoid any chance of "cot death". Unfortunately, Tom had a preference for sleeping with his head turned to the right. Every night, this preference increased pressure on his skull... and baby Tom's skull began to become misshapen, with an unusual flattening on the right side. Tom's parents were naturally concerned, and visited their local doctor. Their doctor suggested repositioning the child whilst sleeping, and giving him more tummy time. Tom's parents were assured that the deformity would not result in any sort of brain damage. In any event, Tom's hair would grow and surely cover his oddly-shapen skull.
However, Tom's parents were still concerned. What if Tom would be teased later at school? What if he went bald in old age? Would it matter? Would he be angry that nothing had been done?
Once Tom was 5 months old, there was clearly no improvement in the skull shape. Tom was brought to Ahead4Babies, who diagnosed a moderate case of plagiocephaly. We recommended helmet therapy for 3-6 months. With no downside at all (other than wearing a helmet), Tom's parents decided to proceed and asked us to treat their child. Within 3 months, Tom's head was back to its original, beautiful shape.
Tom's parents are delighted and we are quite sure Tom will thank them when he's a little older!
If this sounds like your child, we can help you. We hope this website is of use. Do call us if you have any questions, or if you would like to make an appointment with our doctors.