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Wear and Care Instructions: baby's plagiocephaly Helmet
Cranial Remolding Orthosis Use and Care
1. Your baby will wear his or her Cranial Orthosis 23 hours a day, but needs several days to adjust to wearing it. Follow the schedule below to gradually increase the wearing time. Do not accelerate this program, even if your baby is not having any problems. The wearing schedule below was developed to prevent skin problems and to help your baby adjust to the helmet.
ON OFF NAP NIGHT
DAY 1 1 hour 1 hour No No
DAY 2 2 hours 1 hour No No
DAY 3 4 hours 1 hour Yes Yes
DAY 4 8 hours 1 hour Yes Yes
DAY 5 23 hours 1 hour Yes Yes
2. This wearing schedule provides a safe way to acclimate the helmet. The fifth day is considered full time wear, and at this point, the helmet should only be removed for one hour per day. Sometimes it takes a few extra days to achieve the 23 hours and this is normal.
3. Remove the helmet if your baby has a fever or the flu. Return to full time wear as soon as possible. If the baby has not been able to wear the helmet for 72 hours, ramp up the wearing schedule slowly over a few days to help the baby adapt to wearing the helmet again.
4. If your baby has been diagnosed with torticollis, the torticollis must be treated in order to achieve good head shape correction. If your therapist or physician has given you neck exercises to perform, remove the helmet for the exercises and replace the band as soon as the exercises are finished.
5. At bath time each day, remove and clean the helmet. Only use rubbing alcohol (70% can be purchased at Dollarama with a spray nozzle and works well for most families) to clean the inside of the helmet. Other cleaners such as soap, water, bleach, or perfume can cause skin irritation and should not be used inside the helmet. Vigorously rub the inside of the helmet with a clean washcloth containing the rubbing alcohol, or apply rubbing alcohol using a new, soft toothbrush. Set the helmet upside down to dry. A fan, in addition to the rubbing alcohol, may be used to help alleviate odor that sometimes develops inside the helmet. Drying in the sun can also help to alleviate the odor and speed up the drying process.
6. Shampoo the baby's head daily, and re-apply the helmet when both the head and the helmet are dry. Babies with very sensitive scalps may benefit from a mild, unscented hypoallergenic shampoo. The helmet should not get wet and should be removed for swimming. After swimming, wash your child's head with shampoo to remove the chlorine, sunscreen, etc. Re-apply the helmet when both your baby's hair and the helmet are dry.
7. For the first several days, your baby may perspire excessively until his or her body becomes accustomed to the helmet. This is normal, and during this time, the helmet can be removed for a couple of minutes throughout the day to dry the baby's head and helmet with a towel or a cool hair dryer. The helmet should be re-applied as soon as the baby's hair and the helmet are dry. Do not use powders, lotions, or wipes on the baby's head or inside the helmet. These products may contain perfumes and ingredients that can lead to skin irritation. Dress your baby in cooler clothing if the baby perspires excessively.
8. If the baby develops a rash, consult your Doctor immediately. Also, keep the baby as cool as possible and towel or blow dry the baby's hair and the inside of the helmet throughout the day with a cool hair dryer to prevent moisture buildup. Replace the helmet as soon as the helmet and hair are dry. Time out of the helmet should be less than 10 minutes.
9. If you need to cut your baby's hair during Cranial Orthosis treatment, do not shave the entire head. The contact of the band against the head may cause irritation when the hair starts to grow back in and the baby may develop skin irritation. Try to keep your baby's hair the same length throughout treatment to prevent fitting problems that may result from a decrease or increase in the amount of hair.
10. Skin checks should be performed every time the helmet is removed. Call your practitioner immediately if there is an area of deep redness that does not fade in one hour after removing the helmet. This may indicate a need for adjustment. If there is any skin breakdown, remove the helmet and contact your Doctor. The helmet should not be worn until the skin is healed.
11. Excessive time out of the helmet (more than 48 hours) may create problems with the fit since the baby's head is growing continuously. Limit the time out of the helmet and seek assistance when something prevents your baby from tolerating or wearing it.
12. Each time you place the helmet on the baby's head, check the chafe, strap, and gap foam insert to make sure they are secure. Loose parts can be a choking hazard and can result in asphyxiation if the parts are swallowed.
13. When the helmet is off your baby's head, keep the helmet away from family pets. Dogs have been known to chew the plastic and foam liner.
14. The helmet must be worn as prescribed, 23 hours a day, to constrain further abnormal growth and encourage growth in the correct locations. Even at the end of treatment, the helmet should be worn 23 hours a day until the physician, practitioner and caregiver agree that the treatment is complete.
- Early discontinuation of treatment against medical advice may result in incomplete correction of the head shape.
- Continued use of the helmet against medical advice may restrict skull growth and may impair brain growth and development.
15. Explain the purpose of the helmet to other caregivers, and train them in the proper application, removal, and wearing schedule. Training is important for family, friends, daycare personnel, and other person taking care of your baby.
16. If you have questions or concerns about your baby's care, contact your practitioner so that any issues can be resolved quickly.
