Head shape
Head shape
news
Head shape
Head shape
Head shape
Head shape
newsHead shape
Head shape
Head shape
Head shape
Head shapeHead shape
Head shapeHead shapeHead shapeHead shape
newsBabyheadshapedeformitiescanbecausedby”preferenceforacertainposition”ormedicalconditions.Ifyou’reconcerned,itisrecommendedtoconsultaspecialistbeforethebabyis3monthsold.Headshapedeformitiescausedbypositioningpreferencecanbecorrectedeffectivelywith”helmettherapy.”
Director
GraduatedfromtheFacultyofMedicineatKyushuUniversity.MedicalDoctor.WorkedatKeioUniversityHospital,SaitamaMedicalUniversityHospital,andtheNationalResearch&DevelopmentAgencyNationalCenterforChildHealthandDevelopmentbeforeassumingthecurrentpositionin2019.CertifiedSpecialistinPlastic&ReconstructiveSurgerybytheJapaneseSocietyofPlastic&ReconstructiveSurgery.
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.
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.”
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.
ContactInformation:
BabyHeadShapeClinic
107-00524-7-15Akasaka,Minato-ku,Tokyo
AkasakaTangotoBuilding1stand2ndFloor
TEL.03-6230-9972
Website:https://atamanokatachi.com/