Introduction
Ensuring safety during children’s playtime, especially when they start walking or riding bicycles, is also very important for caregivers. From bumping the head and causing minor bruises to deep cuts and wounds, babies are more susceptible to head injuries that cause health issues or deaths.
There are many types of fatal injuries: contusion, which causes bleeding and swelling inside the brain; concussion, which causes loss of consciousness to loss of orientation due to brain injury; skull fracture, which breaks the skull bone, creating an emergency; and sometimes death.
What Conditions Cause a Baby to Need a Helmet?
Babies may need to wear helmets if their head shape is not properly developed. The most common reason is a condition called positional plagiocephaly, also known as flat head syndrome. This happens when a baby spends too much time in one position, like lying on their back.
There are many reasons for this deformity in children. It can occur because of crowding in the womb or infants spending a long time sleeping in a certain position. When a child sleeps on one side continuously, it causes flattening of the side of the skull, known as plagiocephaly. Another side effect of this is misaligned ears. Moreover, when a child sleeps in a supine position continuously, it causes the front of the skull to bulge, known as brachycephaly. Both of these solely depend on prolonged sleeping time in the same position.
The conditions that demand helmets for a baby include:
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Flat Head Syndrome: If a baby's head gets a flat spot because they always lie similarly, a helmet might be recommended to help reshape their skull.
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Brachycephaly: This is another type of flat head syndrome where the back of the head becomes flattened. Repositioning and physical therapy may be tried first, but a helmet could be suggested if these do not work.
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Craniosynostosis: Sometimes, a baby's skull bones fuse too early, causing an odd head shape. Surgery is usually needed to fix this; a helmet might be used afterward to help reshape the head.
Why Do Babies Wear Helmets?
These days, children play varied outdoor games like skating, bicycling, and many other sports. No matter the age, head injuries are very common due to banging the head against objects falling from bicycles or during other playground games. Wearing protective gear like helmets, hand pads, and knee pads can be a lifesaver in many unfortunate incidents.
Why Should a Helmet Be Compulsory?
By putting their safety and health first, children should be asked to take safety measures. A simple concussion can cause life-threatening situations like loss of consciousness, locked-in syndrome, where a person is conscious but loses the ability to speak, loss of eyesight, and, much worse, death.
While wearing helmets, everyone should keep a few things in mind. For example, the size of the helmet and color should be brightly visible during the day and night; it should be replaced after a big fall or big impact during a fall. Keeping these aspects in mind is very important for parents.
How Can One Determine if a Child Requires Helmet Therapy?
To determine if a child needs a helmet, consult with a doctor or specialist who will assess the child's head shape and development based on their needs.
How Is a Helmet Used for Therapy?
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Developmental disorders in children can affect skull size and growth, such as craniosynostosis, causing misshapen skulls.
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Changing sleeping positions or using a baby pillow may help, and physical therapy is an option for mild deformities.
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Severe conditions should be addressed by consulting a pediatrician and following their treatment plan.
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While positional deformities do not impact the brain, they may lead to social challenges over time.
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Helmet therapy recovery times vary based on age and skull development, with some seeing results in months and others taking longer.
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Parents should understand the detailed diagnosis and treatment plan provided by healthcare professionals.
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The skull is made up of bony plates joined by sutures, allowing space for the growing brain during a child's development.
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It's advisable to seek medical attention during the developmental stage for bone-related deformities.
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Helmets are more effective when worn during the developmental stage, guiding bone growth, as corrections become challenging after age 2, when brain growth is complete.
Does the Child Need to Wear the Helmet All Day?
The child might need to wear the helmet for most days and nights, usually about 23 hours. This helps in shaping the head properly. A doctor or specialist will give specific instructions on how long the helmet should be worn each day and for how many months. They will also check regularly to see how things are going and make any needed adjustments to the helmet. If having any questions or concerns about the schedule, it is advised to talk to the child's doctor directly.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Helmet?
It can be very overwhelming for parents to see their child wearing a helmet all the time during the therapy phase. However, it is as normal for children as it is without one.
Additionally, there are a few advantages and disadvantages of wearing a helmet, such as
Advantages:
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Safety: Helmets protect the little ones from falling and hitting their heads or banging them against some objects.
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Therapy: It can be very useful for therapy where the bone abnormality of a skull is related. Helmet therapy is used as a form of corrective therapy at a young age and saves the child from social awkwardness as a young adult.
Disadvantages:
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Discomfort: Children might initially feel discomfort with rashes or skin irritation and pain. These can be solved with simple therapy, time, or topical ointments that soothe rashes and skin irritation.
Conclusion
There are many disorders related to bone growth that are seen in children. Many of them involve bone abnormalities related to the growth of the skull. Helmet therapy can be used for safety purposes and as protective headgear for children during outdoor activities. However, wearing helmets comes with pros and cons, but using them as safety gear or in therapy can be advantageous in the long run.
