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[ad_1]UnderstandingHeadShapeChangesinBabies

Babyheadshapedeformitiescanbecausedby”preferenceforacertainposition”ormedicalconditions.Ifyou’reconcerned,itisrecommendedtoconsultaspecialistbeforethebabyis3monthsold.Headshapedeformitiescausedbypositioningpreferencecanbecorrectedeffectivelywith”helmettherapy.”

DirectorAikoTakamatsu
GraduatedfromtheFacultyofMedicineatKyushuUniversity.MedicalDoctor.WorkedatKeioUniversityHospital,SaitamaMedicalUniversityHospital,andtheNationalResearch&DevelopmentAgencyNationalCenterforChildHealthandDevelopmentbeforeassumingthecurrentpositionin2019.CertifiedSpecialistinPlastic&ReconstructiveSurgerybytheJapaneseSocietyofPlastic&ReconstructiveSurgery.

SleepingPositionPreferenceCanLeadtoBabyHeadShapeDeformities

Babyheadshapeisamajorconcernforparentsofinfants.

InJapan,thereisaculturalpracticeoflayingthebabyonitsback,andtheconceptofa”perfectlyroundhead”hasalmostbeentakenforgranted.Inthelate1980s,therewasatrendofcribsleepingintheWesternstyle,claimingtohaveabeneficialeffectonheadshapeandproportionimprovement.However,in1992,theAmericanAcademyofPediatricsannouncedthat”cribsleepingcancauseSuddenInfantDeathSyndrome,”leadingtobacksleepingforbabiesbecomingtheglobalstandard.

Ababy’sheadisverysoft,andatbirth,thebrainweighsabout350-400g,whichdoublesinsizewithinjust8months.Theskullisdividedinto7partstoaccommodatetherapidlygrowingbrain,andthesepartshave”gaps”atthejunctions,makingthebonesflexibleandthin.

Therefore,whenababypreferstosleeponitsback,theweightoftheheadisconcentratedononeparticulararea,causingthatareatobecomeflatduetoprolongedcontact.

“Asaresult,upto40%ofinfantsintheUnitedStateswerefoundtohaveheaddeformities,whichledtoconcerns.Researchonassessmentandtreatmentwasinitiated,leadingtothedevelopmentof’helmettherapy’andsimilarmethods.ClinicalresearchbeganatanationalpediatriccorehospitalinJapanin2011.OurclinichasbeenattheforefrontofheaddeformitytreatmentinJapan,”saidDr.AikoTakamatsu,thedirectorofthe’BabyHeadShapeClinic’.Sheparticipatedinthecoreoftheresearchasaspecialistinplasticsurgeryduringthattime,addressingtheconcernsofparentswhowantedtoimprovetheirbaby’sheadshape.

“Originally,pediatriccorehospitalsareinstitutionsthatprovideadvancedspecialistcare,suchasreconstructivesurgeriesforcongenitaloracquireddeformities.Headdeformities,evenifsevereinappearance,aremerelycosmeticissuesiftheyarenotcausedbydisease.Itisdifficultforlargehospitalstoidentifywhetheritismerelyacosmeticissueorifthepresenceofalesionissuspected.Therefore,Iestablishedthisclinicindependentlyin2019toprovideassistancenotonlyforheaddeformitiesbutalsoforgeneralchild-rearingsupport.”

Insomecases,ababy’sheadshapedeformitymaybeasignofaseriousunderlyingcondition.

Onesuchconditionis”craniosynostosis,”inwhichthecranialsutures,whicharesupposedtoslowlyclosearoundtheageof2,begintofuseshortlyafterbirth.Thisleadstocranialdeformationduetoincreasedintracranialpressure,aswellasfunctionalimpairmentsofthecraniofacialarea,suchasneurologicaldeficits,proptosis,strabismus,upperairwayconstriction,andmalocclusion.

Anotherconditionthatcancauseheadshapedeformityis”musculartorticollis,”whichoccurswhenapartofthesternocleidomastoidmusclethatconstitutestheneckisdamagedandcontracts.Insuchcases,orthopedictreatmentisnecessary.

Thankstotheincreasedinterestinheadshapeconcerns,moreparentsareseekingearlyconsultationwithspecialists,leadingtothediscoveryofunderlyingconditions,”sheadded.

IftheDeformityisMild,ItCanBeImprovedThroughLifestyleChanges

Cranialdeformitiescanbeclassifiedintotwotypes:”cavumseptipellucidi”(CSP)or”asymmetric(occipital)plagiocephaly.”Dependingontheseverityofthedeformity,theyarecategorizedbasedonglobalstandardsanddiagnosedusingspecialmeasuringdevicesand3Dscanners.

Sinceit’simpossibleforparentstodeterminetheseverityofthedeformation,itisadvisabletovisitaspecialistclinicat2-3monthsofage.Bythetimethebabyreaches1yearold,theheadshapebecomesfixed.Therefore,ifcorrectivemeasuresaredesired,itisrecommendedtostarttreatmentataround3-4monthsoratthelatest6monthsafterbirth.

“‘TummyTime,’whichinvolvesplacingthebabyonitstummyforabout30minutesaday,isalsobeneficial.Ithelpsstrengthentheneck,back,andarmmuscles.However,it’scrucialforaparenttosupervisetopreventanyriskofsuffocation.After6months,activelyencouragethebabytositandcrawl.”

Illustration:BabyHeadShapeClinicbyAonaUmeda.Reproductionofillustrationsisprohibited.

TheKeytoTreatmentis”HelmetTherapy”

Eveniftheconditionismild,moderatetoseverecasescanbenefitfrom”helmettherapy.”Ifplagiocephalyprogresses,notonlytheheadbutalsofacialbonesbecomeasymmetrical,resultinginthedistortionofthepositionandshapeoftheeyes,ears,andcheekbones.

Fourtypesofhelmetsareavailableatourclinic.The”MichiganCranialMorphologyCorrectionHelmet”developedbytheUniversityofMichiganRehabilitationInstitute,”Promomet”developedandmanufacturedinJapanbyalicensedprosthetist,and”LittleMove”fromaJapanesemanufacturer,arethetwo-piecetypeoptions.Thereisalsothe”BabyBand,”aband-typeformoderatecases.Allofthesearemedicaldevicesortreatmentaids.

Furthermore,whatsetsourclinicapartisthataprosthesisorthotistworkshand-in-handwithamedicaldoctor,workingtogethertoprovideindividualizedandmeticuloustreatmenttoeachpatient.

Dr.KazuakiYamaguchi,anexperiencedprosthetistwithover20yearsofexperienceinpediatricheadshapecorrection.

ContactInformation:
BabyHeadShapeClinic
107-00524-7-15Akasaka,Minato-ku,Tokyo
AkasakaTangotoBuilding1stand2ndFloor
TEL.03-6230-9972
Website:https://atamanokatachi.com/


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