18 Aug Noticed your baby has a flatten spot on the back or side of their head Been told that your baby needs Helmet therapy to correct their head shape

Helmet therapy is mainly used to correct a baby’s mis-shapen head. It involves using a custom-made helmet that is designed to gently apply pressure to the baby’s skull that is protruding while allowing space around the flatten parts of baby’ skull to prevent further flattening.

However, the facts are Helmet therapy aren’t as effective in treating baby’s mis-shapened head as Paediatric Physiotherapy. Studies have shown repeatedly that Physiotherapy treatment is considered as the first line of intervention in correcting flatten head shapes in babies and manual therapy is the method that obtains the best results within this intervention.

3 Reasons why Paediatric Physiotherapy is more effective than Helmet Therapy
1. Helmet therapy is only treating the symptom of a flat head shape, it does not treat the underlying cause of a flat head shape. The underlying cause is often a tight neck muscle that is limiting baby from turning their head, which is best treated with Physiotherapy.

2. Helmet therapy requires a helmet to be worn 23 out of 24 hours a day, for months before a head shape can change over time. Parents and babies often find it challenging to comply with the helmet requirements. Physiotherapy can achieve the same results with positioning.

3. Helmet therapy actually limits baby’s neck range of motion and their ability to learn gross motor skills like rolling. Physiotherapy intervention works on building baby’s neck muscle strength as well as core strength to help baby learn to move better and improve their gross motor skills.

If you are concerned about baby’s head shape, ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today!

#myfavouritephysio #plagiocephaly #paedsphysio #kidsphysio #bankstown