Sometimes when a baby sleeps in the same position, the
soft plates may form a flat spot or bumpy appearance. This common condition is
known as plagiocephaly, and it is not threatening to your baby’s brain. If the
condition does not settle on its own, your pediatrician may advise
repositioning, exercises, or helmet therapy.
Helmet therapy is used to carefully alter the shape of
babies’ skulls over time. Newborn babies’ skulls are soft plates with areas
between them. As the baby grows, these plates grow, increasingly firm, and unite
together.
Cranial helmets for infants in New York are composed of a hard-outer shell including a foam
lining. Soft, constant pressures are used for capturing the natural development
of a baby’s head while inhibiting growth in the prominent areas and supporting
development in the flat regions. It is recommended that your child wear their
helmet for 23 hours a day.
Adjustments are done regularly as your baby’s head grows.
The helmet renders a firm, round area for the head to grow into. Even if your
child persists to rest their head on one side, the helmet will offer a
cushioning to stop the head from further flattening. If your child is diagnosed
with deformational plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, or scaphocephaly and is less
than 12 months old, then a licensed physician may prescribe cranial remolding
from a cranial
helmet of in New York to correct the shape of your baby’s
head.