When should I put a helmet on my Baby?

Studies show that the best age to begin helmet therapy for babies is between 5 and 6 months. This allows for the helmet to gently shape your baby’s skull as they grow.
If a baby 4 to 6 months of age still has flatness after conservative measures have been attempted, helmet therapy may be considered. The older a baby gets, the more their skull has grown and formed, making a helmet slower to work. Is helmet therapy required? Helmet therapy for plagiocephaly is always a choice; it’s never mandatory.
Sometimes, helmet therapy can help correct a baby’s misshapen head. We spoke with Dr. Suresh Magge, medical director of neurosurgery at CHOC, to answer some of parents’ most common questions about whether helmet therapy is right for their child.
Helmet molding therapy, or cranial orthosis, is a type of treatment in which a baby is fitted with a special helmet to correct the shape of the skull. Helmet molding therapy is not painful or uncomfortable for your baby. Duration of treatment can vary based on your baby’s needs, but average treatment is 3 months.

Can a baby helmet be used for flat head?

They are only recommended for moderate to severe cases, and for babies aged between 4-14 months. Provided you choose a reputable clinic, flat head helmets are a safe, trouble free and pain free treatment, and pose absolutely no threat to your baby’s development.
You’ve probably noticed a baby wearing a helmet at some point in your life. There are a variety of reasons for this, but the most common is to correct a misshapen head. The condition is known as flat head syndrome or plagiocephaly. While it isn’t rare, most people know very little about it.
Flexible skulls can protect a baby’s growing brain, which roughly doubles in size during the first year. But if a baby’s skull shape seems different, he or she may need helmet therapy. What is helmet therapy? Helmet therapy (also called helmet orthosis) is a treatment that’s prescribed to help mold the baby’s skull into shape.
When Is It Too Late for a Baby Helmet? Ideally, you should start using a helmet to correct flat head syndrome before seven months. But a baby’s head and skull may still be able to be shaped by a helmet as late as 14 months. Are There Different Sizes of Baby Helmet?

What is the best age to get a corrective helmet?

A corrective helmet may be recommended if there is no change in your baby’s head shape with repositioning or if there is moderate-to-severe skull asymmetry. The ideal time to have a child assessed for helmet therapy is between five and six months of age.
Baby helmet therapy requires active growth to bring about correction and 4 to 7 months is the ideal age to start treatment. There is less improvement available as the child ages to a maximum cut-off of 14 months for the start of treatment. After this, the window of opportunity closes and surgery is the only option if treatment is required.
Babies’ heads were completely corrected in 95 percent of those who were given helmet therapy right off the bat, and in 96 percent of babies whose head shape didn’t improve with more conservative therapy.
However, investigation will not correct a deformity. This is usually the parent’s main concern and when an infant reaches 14 months, the potential for correction with a helmet becomes very limited. Baby helmet therapy requires active growth to bring about correction and 4 to 7 months is the ideal age to start treatment.

How does a baby’s helmet adjustment work?

Adjustments are made frequently as your baby’s head grows. The helmet essentially provides a tight, round space for the head to grow into. Even if your child continues to rest his or her head on one side, the helmet will provide a cushioning to prevent the head from further flattening.
If your baby’s head is flat (or asymmetrically shaped) and you need to do something about it. 2. Getting a helmet will *probably* be harder on you than it is on your baby.
This is different in every case and so much depends on the age helmet therapy started. In early infancy, the brain and skull grow very quickly. Therefore, the helmet can direct growth over a shorter time. The orthotist will check your child’s progress at each visit to see if their head shape is improving.
Helmet therapy is used to gently correct the shape of babies’ skulls over time. Newborn babies’ skulls are soft plates with spaces between them. As the baby grows, these plates grow, gradually harden and knit together. Sometimes when a baby sleeps in the same position, the soft plates may develop a flat spot or uneven appearance.

Should I get a helmet for my Baby’s head?

Sometimes, helmet therapy can help correct a baby’s misshapen head. We spoke with Dr. Suresh Magge, medical director of neurosurgery at CHOC, to answer some of parents’ most common questions about whether helmet therapy is right for their child.
A baby that starts helmet therapy at a younger age may wear the helmet for less time. The results of therapy also may be better. Babies referred for helmets at a later age (e.g., after 8 months), or after position changes and physical therapy did not help can still get helmets.
Is my child a candidate for helmet therapy? If your child is diagnosed with deformational plagiocephaly, brachycephaly or scaphocephaly and is less than 12 months old, cranial remolding may be prescribed to correct the shape of the baby’s head. Helmets must be prescribed by a licensed physician.
The most common cause for helmets today is a positional head shape deformity, or positional plagiocephaly. In a small percentage of cases, children with an abnormal head shape have craniosynostosis.

Will my child’s head shape change with helmet therapy?

The head shape does often get better, with or without the use of a helmet. Helmet therapy is a choice some parents make, along with their child’s doctor, to try to cosmetically improve the shape of a child’s head. With your pediatrician, or a pediatric neurosurgeon, you can discuss your baby’s specific case and the pros and cons of helmet therapy.
Babies grow fast, and their heads are made for this quick growth. Flexible skulls can protect a baby’s growing brain, which roughly doubles in size during the first year. But if a baby’s skull shape seems different, he or she may need helmet therapy.
Helmets and head shape. If unevenness doesn’t improve with the help of repositioning by age 6 months or your baby is older than 8 months and has a severe deformity, your baby’s doctor might prescribe a molded helmet to help shape your baby’s head.
If your infant’s head shape doesn’t correct on its own after trying repositioning exercises at home, we may recommend a baby cranial remolding helmet. Using 3D images created from a quick head scan at your first appointment, Children’s helmet manufacturer will make a customized helmet to help correct the shape of your child’s head.