Frequently Asked Questions

Will the NHS treat my baby's plagiocephaly?

There have been only 3 cases known in Scotland that have received retrospective funding on private helmet treatment.  Two of these cases are from South Lanarkshire and one is from Dumfries and Galloway.  There was also a pilot scheme which took place at Yorkhill Hospital which involved only a few babies and this trial has now been completed.  Unfortunately this trial was not a "medical" trial.  It was done by the Orthotists at Yorkhill NOT the Doctors. 

There are 2 NHS Hospitals in England which provide NHS helmets.  These hospitals are Leeds General Infirmary and Bristol.  The helmets provided by the NHS cannot be adjusted as your baby grows - so your baby may need more than one helmet before treatment is finished.  There have been some cases of retrospective funding in England.  This involves applying to your local NHS Trust for the funding of a private supplier's helmet.

Does the helmet restrict brain growth?

The helmet does not restrict brain growth.  The helmet allows natural growth of the head but channels the growth into the flat area of the skull.  The inside of the helmet is regularly shaved away to allow more room for the head to grow as your baby gets older.

What is the difference between Brachycephaly and Plagiocephaly?

Brachycephaly is a flattening straight accross the back of a baby's head whereas Plagiocephaly is to the side of a baby's head.  Brachycephaly takes longer to correct than Plagiocephaly.

How much does helmet therapy cost?

Helmet therapy costs between £1,700 to around £2,000 depending on which supplier you choose.  Please go to the helmet suppliers section in this site to get further information.

Will repositioning alone fix my baby's plagiocephaly?

Repositioning can be extremely effective on young babies.  Helmets will not be fitted on babies under 5 months of age and repositioning should be attempted up to this age.  In some cases if the plagiocephaly is caught early enough repositioning alone may be adequate to help round out your baby's head and if adhered to from birth it should avoid your baby developing positional plagiocephaly.  Please see repositioning advice in the causes/treatment section of this site.

Is my baby too old for helmet treatment?

One helmet provider will treat children up to the age of 2.  Although helmet treatment is most effective up to the baby's first birthday as a child's growth slows down extremely after their first birthday.  Once a child's sutures have closed then unfortunately helmet therapy is no longer an option.

Please go to the helmet providers section on this site for further information.

My baby is sweating with the helmet on - is this normal?

Babies take around 2-3 weeks to adjust to their helmet.  Their body temperature does rise to begin with and you should dress your baby in less clothes than normal until your baby's body temperature adjusts.  Loose clothing and no socks will help to reduce the body termperature in the first few weeks.

How soon will we see any improvement?

This depends on the age of your baby as growth slows down after their first birthday.  Many parents have reported improvement after only 2 weeks!  This however depends on your baby wearing the helmet for the correct amount of hours and no less. You do see an improvement sooner than expected, it's very encouraging.

My baby's head has lots of lumps and bumps at the back - is this normal?

When your baby's head begins to correct, you will get lots of lumps and bumps on the back/side of your baby's head.  This is a good sign and means that the head is starting to "pop out".  These lumps and bumps will smooth out in time!!

I took off the helmet and there is a red mark on my baby's head - what should I do?

If the mark disappears within 1 hour then it is nothing to worry about.

If the red mark does not disappear within 1 hour then you should contact your helmet supplier.  If the mark is not raised and not bothering your baby then you should put the helmet back on , keep an eye on the marked area, and contact your supplier as soon as possible.

If the mark is red, raised and bothering your baby then you should keep the helmet off and apply sudocrem/vaseline until you can contact your helmet supplier. 

Does my baby have torticollis? / Repositioning is impossible!!

Does your baby only look to one side?  Sit your baby in between your legs or place him/her on their tummy.  Try to get your baby to look in both directions.  You should try to get your babies attention to the left and then to the right by placing a toy at his/her side or making a noise at either side.  If your baby is finding it difficult to look in both directions then there is a possiblity that your baby may have torticollis.

Torticollis is a condition which causes tightening of the neck muscles.  This can make it impossible for your baby to look in both directions, therefore, making repositioning almost impossible.  Torticollis is one of the highest contributing factors to positional plagiocephaly. 

If you suspect your baby has torticollis - you should question this with your GP as soon as possible.  You should ensure that your baby receives physio-therapy immediately to rectify this problem.  If torticollis is not treated then your baby's plagiocephaly will most certainly worsen.

Here is a website which will give you more information on torticollis.

Torticollis Information