Joshua's Page
Joshua's Plagiocephaly Story Joshua Benjamin entered the world on November 8, 2003. He seemed perfect in every way when he came home from the hospital. I didn't notice that his head tilted slightly to his left (torticollis), and as time went on, his head became more asymmetrical (positional plagiocephaly--pronounced play-gee-oh-sef-ah-lee) from spending a lot of time in his car seat/carrier, swing and bassinet. The first time I noticed anything odd was at his three-month picture, when no matter how I positioned him, his head still leaned to the left, and it seemed uneven in the back of his head. Joshua being my third child, however, I figured it was one of those things that babies grew out of and didn't give it any more thought. At Joshua's six-month check-up, the doctor mentioned that Joshua's head was flat on one side and "might need a helmet," and indicated that he would re-evaluate Joshua in six weeks. The doctor was so low-key that I didn't become alarmed, at least until a week later when a physical therapist, who was doing therapy on one of my best friend's children, looked at Joshua and declared that she didn't "like the way he's holding his head." At that, I called my county's early intervention program to get help and information, and they asked me, rather brusquely, "Well, has he been diagnosed with torticollis?" To which I answered, "WHAT?" I wasn't sure if we were still talking about my son or a new Italian dish. The next 24 hours was a whirlwind of internet research, during which time I found out that torticollis is a tilting of the neck and a new term, plagiocephaly, was a misshaped head. I found the website to Cranial Technologies thanks to Amaya Nelson's website (links below). Not only did I find out that it wasn't something that babies grew out of, the window of opportunity to fix it would be closed in another year, as that is when the openings (sutures) in his skull would be fused. I called up Cranial Technologies and was able to get him in the following week--there was a clinic location down the street from where I work--Praise God! I had to do physical therapy on Joshua to correct the torticollis. He screamed, of course, because it involved stretching the neck muscles on his weak side. If you find that you need to do this for your son or daughter, take heart. He/she will not remember you doing it, and it is more uncomfortable than painful for your child. The worst part, in my opinion, is the feeling that I inflicted trauma on my precious son. But he got over it and well-adjusted in spite my imagined torture. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped correct a condition which, if left untreated, could have serious health repercussions later, including back and vision problems. So DON'T GIVE UP! Josh's helmet was finally approved by the insurance and he received it on October 6, 2004, four months after the doctor first noticed his asymmetry. Insurance approval takes a while, so do not delay seeking treatment if you suspect your child needs a helmet/band. Cranial Tech, for one, will not tell you to get a band if your child does not need one, and will actually tell you that your child does not need one if that is the case. It's worth the free consultation for peace of mind if you have any doubts about your child needing treatment. I had some ups and downs with a repetitive rubbing sore that did not improve even after adjustments to his helmet, but there was good improvement after Cranial Tech gave Josh a Tegaderm bandage to cover the wound while it was healing. However, they didn't tell me about it right away. If you notice a sore developing, go get the bandages yourself, available in most pharmacies, and don't wait for your band provider to give them to you. The bandages can be cut to size and are transparent. Josh completed helmet therapy in early February 2005. In my estimation, Josh has received about 90% correction and has a much rounder noggin. I have found myself feeling family members' skulls, and none of them are perfectly round, so I'm not concerned that Josh's head isn't "perfect." The transformation, though, is amazing. You'd never guess he ever had any problems. God is faithful! One final note: I want all parents out there to know, especially if your child needs a helmet, that there is no shame in the fact that there's something wrong with your child and that the cure is visible for all to see. Sure, you will get odd questions and assumptions from strangers, my favorite being a woman at DMV who thought he banged his head repeatedly, but rather than feel shame, embrace the situation, know that you are doing the best for your child, get some funky stickers or paint it. Above all, know that this wasn't your fault. I wrestled with lots of guilt for months until I finally came to the conclusion that guilt is a useless emotion and only served to drain me when I was needed the most. If you ever want to chat about this or anything else, check out the e-mail address graphic on the home page.
Torticollis & Plagiocephaly Links General Information Safe Sleeping
May Cause Flat Heads for Babies Helmet Manufacturers/Providers Parent Pages/Support Groups CAPPS
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