Helmet Update

L.J. had a one-month head scan last week to gauge his progress wearing his helmet. Mike and I were 50/50 on how the appointment would turn out – his head was looking a bit better, but he’s been wearing it probably 20-21 hours a day instead of 23 due to the summer heat.

We received great news! L.J. has made significant progress! Take a look at his scan below. The red line shows his head shape prior to getting a helmet; the blue line shows his current head shape.

This scan shows that the helmet is doing exactly what it should be doing. The area around “Diag2” has not grown all that much, while the area near “Diag1” has rounded out quite a bit. Based on this progress, the orthotist estimates that we have 2 months of helmet wear remaining. (Original estimate was 3-4 months)

We have gotten a lot of questions about L.J.’s helmet, so I’ll address the most common ones:

1. Does he sleep in it?
   Yes
2. Does he mind wearing it?
   Not really. He’ll fuss if he gets too hot, at which point we take it off for a bit.
3. Does it put pressure on his head? How exactly does it work?
   It does not put pressure on his head. It is a custom-molded helmet based on his head scan. It fits his head comfortably, and there is extra air space on the right side. Infant heads grow rapidly and are very pliable – so the helmet is guiding his head to grow in the proper direction. Restricted isn’t the right word, but essentially the helmet is preventing the left side of his head from getting larger and instead is encouraging natural growth on the right side of his head.
4. Will the helmet get too small?
   No, because he is only wearing it for a short amount of time. Each time he goes for an appointment (every 2 weeks), they adjust the fit by shaving off some of the foam on the inside.

I also have found myself correcting a common misperception: Babies don’t wear helmets just because they lay on their backs all the time.

Yes, some babies – many babies – get a flat spot from laying on their back. It’s a by-product of the “Back to Sleep” campaign and it usually resolves itself without need for a helmet. Most babies who need a helmet have a flat spot due to medical conditions the parent has no control over.

Most people don’t pay any mind to L.J.’s helmet, which I admit to being relieved about. I think, where we live at least, many people have either seen a baby wearing one or have heard of them.

However…there have been a few special people who have made some noteworthy comments…

• The bathroom attendant at the Atlanta airport who, attempting to be discreet, asked in a loud whisper if his helmet was for seizures.
• The random lady I ran into running errands who asked if he was wearing it because he fell on his head. (a.k.a. did we drop him)
• And the grandma in Philadelphia who said that her grandson was recommended for a helmet (albeit never got one) because his OTHER GRANDMA used to watch him and let him lay on his back in the bouncy all the time, which was just such a shame and not something she would have done.