I can’t believe it’s been two months since I last did an update - a lot has happened in that time!
We have had two check ups at the Bristol clinic, many chiropractor appointments and Noah has started walking - so we have had our hands full!!
We have had two check ups at the Bristol clinic, many chiropractor appointments and Noah has started walking - so we have had our hands full!!
Some photos during helmet cleaning time!
And Noah testing out his legs :)
Noah’s progress
At our first of the two LOC appointments, we were advised that Noah’s asymmetry had reduced by 1mm and no change on the cephalic ratio. It was a little disheartening to think that in 4 weeks there hadn’t been much improvement, but we were warned that as time goes on, changes would be slower. Also, we measure Noah’s height and weight about once a month and knew that he hadn’t actually grown a lot, so it kind of made sense that his head would be a similar shape.
At our first of the two LOC appointments, we were advised that Noah’s asymmetry had reduced by 1mm and no change on the cephalic ratio. It was a little disheartening to think that in 4 weeks there hadn’t been much improvement, but we were warned that as time goes on, changes would be slower. Also, we measure Noah’s height and weight about once a month and knew that he hadn’t actually grown a lot, so it kind of made sense that his head would be a similar shape.
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| Having fun at the play area in front of the LOC Bristol clinic |
At his second LOC appointment last week, we were hopeful of a little more change. From our measurements at home, we thought he had grown in the last month and hoped that would mean his head had changed too. And it had! His asymmetry had reduced by another 1mm and his cephalic ratio/Brachycephaly had reduced by 2%.
So, his head is now just 4mm different with the asymmetry
(3mm being the average) and his cephalic ratio/Brachycephaly stands at
86% (which is in the normal range).
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| The clinic eased off the foam around the front of Noah's face as it was getting very tight |
Our Chiropractor appointments have also been really good. The Chiropractor has said that the work he is doing now is building on previous work and that Noah’s skull is reacting well. With the helmet holding certain areas of his skull we feel it is important to go to these sessions as it helps to keep things moving, encouraging movement in the right direction.
Bath time is always when we have a good look at Noah’s head, when his hair is wet you can see it’s true shape. We are so pleased with its appearance now and whilst we can still see that there is a slight imbalance, it is nothing like it was.
Flat Head Syndrome in the news
Since starting the treatment and also writing this blog, I have been feeling a lot happier about Noah’s head and how he is progressing. It was really hard before we started, I felt incredibly guilty that his head was the shape it was and although I couldn’t have done any more, I felt like I should have. It was hard emotionally and we never felt satisfied that his head would ‘sort it’s self out’.
His helmet and chiropractor appointments are having a real positive effect on the shape of his head and I feel that through this blog we are also raising some awareness - and hopefully helping others.
Then, about 4 weeks ago there was an article in the paper and also Jeremy Vine (BBC 2) ran a debate on Flat Head Syndrome and also discussed helmets - both of which were not exactly positive. It brought back all the old emotions of how I felt about 6 months ago and it made me so angry.
There is a real lack of knowledge about Flat Head Syndrome out there, not only by Joe Public, but also from the medical profession. There seem to be such strong and negative opinions coming from those with no first hand experience and for us parents who are going through it, it’s very upsetting.
I really believe there needs to be a study into Flat Head Syndrome so there is a better understanding of it, including helmets and how they work and chiropractic treatment and how this can effect change.
As new parents, we are all advised to put our babies down to sleep on their backs, however this is having an obvious effect on the number of babies with Flat Head Syndrome. Why do the medical profession seem to be ignoring this? Is it because they don’t want to pay for all the helmets?!! I would love to know what the actual stats are for babies and the shape of their heads. I think that there would be some surprising figures based on conversations I have had since writing this blog and also through just being more aware of babies head shapes.
I would also like to know what the NHS’s real stance is on helmets is. We were told by many doctors that Noah’s head would ‘sort it’s self out’ and that helmets are not available on the NHS. However recently, I have discovered that they are available on the NHS. What is going on here?
For new parents going through the turmoil of trying to find out and decide what is best for their baby, the information and advice out there is massively inconsistent. It really is down to the individual and how much you research and push the doctors and services around you. It shouldn’t be like this.
The shape of your babies head is not a superficial, parents being shallow thing, which is how I was made to feel. It is a real issue that it needs to be addressed by the medical profession. They need to know more about the real Flat Head Syndrome picture and acknowledge that not all babies heads ‘sort themselves out’. They need to look out for the symptoms, including Torticollis, and help parents with positive advice and actions they can take. More tummy time or ‘their hair will cover it’ should not be the standard answer.
We still get some funny looks or comments when we are out. Why some people choose to be negative I do not understand. If I saw a baby with a helmet and didn‘t know what it was for, I would be concerned for the baby and parents. So, we just do our best to brush it off and ignore it. We couldn’t be happier with our decision - his head is an amazing shape and we can’t wait to show it off very soon.
Bath time is always when we have a good look at Noah’s head, when his hair is wet you can see it’s true shape. We are so pleased with its appearance now and whilst we can still see that there is a slight imbalance, it is nothing like it was.
Flat Head Syndrome in the news
Since starting the treatment and also writing this blog, I have been feeling a lot happier about Noah’s head and how he is progressing. It was really hard before we started, I felt incredibly guilty that his head was the shape it was and although I couldn’t have done any more, I felt like I should have. It was hard emotionally and we never felt satisfied that his head would ‘sort it’s self out’.
His helmet and chiropractor appointments are having a real positive effect on the shape of his head and I feel that through this blog we are also raising some awareness - and hopefully helping others.
Then, about 4 weeks ago there was an article in the paper and also Jeremy Vine (BBC 2) ran a debate on Flat Head Syndrome and also discussed helmets - both of which were not exactly positive. It brought back all the old emotions of how I felt about 6 months ago and it made me so angry.
There is a real lack of knowledge about Flat Head Syndrome out there, not only by Joe Public, but also from the medical profession. There seem to be such strong and negative opinions coming from those with no first hand experience and for us parents who are going through it, it’s very upsetting.
I really believe there needs to be a study into Flat Head Syndrome so there is a better understanding of it, including helmets and how they work and chiropractic treatment and how this can effect change.
As new parents, we are all advised to put our babies down to sleep on their backs, however this is having an obvious effect on the number of babies with Flat Head Syndrome. Why do the medical profession seem to be ignoring this? Is it because they don’t want to pay for all the helmets?!! I would love to know what the actual stats are for babies and the shape of their heads. I think that there would be some surprising figures based on conversations I have had since writing this blog and also through just being more aware of babies head shapes.
I would also like to know what the NHS’s real stance is on helmets is. We were told by many doctors that Noah’s head would ‘sort it’s self out’ and that helmets are not available on the NHS. However recently, I have discovered that they are available on the NHS. What is going on here?
For new parents going through the turmoil of trying to find out and decide what is best for their baby, the information and advice out there is massively inconsistent. It really is down to the individual and how much you research and push the doctors and services around you. It shouldn’t be like this.
The shape of your babies head is not a superficial, parents being shallow thing, which is how I was made to feel. It is a real issue that it needs to be addressed by the medical profession. They need to know more about the real Flat Head Syndrome picture and acknowledge that not all babies heads ‘sort themselves out’. They need to look out for the symptoms, including Torticollis, and help parents with positive advice and actions they can take. More tummy time or ‘their hair will cover it’ should not be the standard answer.
We still get some funny looks or comments when we are out. Why some people choose to be negative I do not understand. If I saw a baby with a helmet and didn‘t know what it was for, I would be concerned for the baby and parents. So, we just do our best to brush it off and ignore it. We couldn’t be happier with our decision - his head is an amazing shape and we can’t wait to show it off very soon.
Looking forward
Our next LOC appointment is in 5 weeks and we have been advised that this could be a discharge appointment - if we are happy with the measurements taken/shape of his head on that date. We can continue with treatment for as long as we like, but the clinic are looking for his head to be at least 3mm on the asymmetry and 85% on his cephalic ratio (middle of the normal range).
They have taken loads more foam out from the inside of his helmet, so much so that you can see daylight through the plastic when you hold it up to the light! He has maximum growing room and so we are keeping everything crossed for lots of growth this month :)
Our cheeky chappie
