Cranial Care

Causes of Positional Head Deformities

When a baby keeps sleeping in the same position during pregnancy or may be due to issues with the neck muscles (torticollis). Premature infants are more susceptible to positional head abnormalities due to their skulls being smaller than those of full-term infants. These anatomical conditions often result in spending elongated periods on their backs without being picked up or moved. Positional head malformations shouldn’t be confused with craniosynostosis. The latter is a more serious condition that occurs when skull bones fuse at a very early stage, resulting in an abnormal skull shape. It can also cause probable brain damage if the condition is not controlled. Craniosynostosis is mostly treated with surgery.

Timely Diagnosis and Treatment

Timely diagnosis and précised orthotic interventions can promptly correct positional head deformities. When parents observe a head shape abnormality, a child orthopedic expert should be timely consulted. In most cases, the consultant makes diagnoses this condition by solely examining the child’s head, whether timely repositioning of your child’s head during sleep up to 4 months of age will victoriously reshape the growth of the skull over time. The infants suggested to our clinic between the age of 4 to 12 months have the most prosperous results. Babies who are 12-16 months old should expect partial outcomes. Undergoing post-surgical care is also treated hereby guiding irregular and “bulging” shaped parts of the skull, promoting normal growth within the remodeling orthosis.

Cranial Remodelling Orthosis

A cranial remodelling band or cranial helmet is to improve the symmetry of a baby’s skull. At Advance Care Clinic we use a custom-made, 3D Printed remodelling helmet. It offers improved comfort, and fantastic aesthetics to gently guide growth and restore the normal shape of the head. It is also gentle on the skin whilst successfully correcting the deformity. The orthosis is designed to be used in infants during the period of rapid skull growth. The treatment has a high success rate and only takes between 4 to 6 months. We use a proven system that successfully treated over 8,000 infants in 6 countries with incredible results compared to conventional cranial remodeling orthoses.

4 Simple Steps to Correct Head Shape

• Highly precise safe and secure 3D measurements are taken during your visit to Advance Care clinic
• You are given a complete choice of colors and your orthodox is designed digitally
• The orthosis is 3D printed to ensure equal accuracy and aesthetics throughout
• All follow-up appointments are required to adhere to necessary adjustments

Follow Up Program

Our clinicians commit to offering comprehensive instructions for follow-up visits. After the final fitting, the infant should be seen by our clinician post 1 week to examine the comfort levels and after the second week for troubleshooting, if any modifications are further required. Likewise, follow-up visits are suggested at periodic intervals until the head shape reaches a satisfactory correction.