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View our privacy policyLuca was assessed as having moderate to severe brachycephaly when he was a young baby, a condition in which the head appears wider and flatter than usual. Here, Mum Lauren tells us his story.
Luca’s mother, Lauren, first noticed a change in his head shape when he was about three months old. There were no problems at birth. “It was really ironic as my partner and I were really enjoying the fact that Luca slept so soundly; this was in direct contrast to his older sister, who kept us awake all night. Because he slept so well, he stayed in the same position for long periods of time, thus causing his flat head, as I subsequently found out.”
As Lauren was unsure what was causing the change in Luca’s head shape, she searched online and tried special pillows. When there was no improvement, she went to her GP, who agreed that Luca’s head shape was noticeably flat and referred him for further assessment.
In the meantime, she received a recommendation to contact the London Orthotic Consultancy from a friend’s sister-in-law who knew somebody whose baby had worn a LOC helmet. This encouraged Lauren to get in touch with us.
Luca was assessed by Saeed Hamid, one of LOC’s founders, at our Romford clinic in February of this year. His head shape measurements showed moderate to severe brachycephaly.
Brachycephaly is a condition in which the skull is shorter than typical, causing the head to appear wider in relation to its depth. The term comes from the Greek words “brachy-” (short) and “cephaly” (head). It affects the shape of the skull and typically results in a flatter back of the head.
One of the objective measures used to assess a baby’s head shape is cranial vault asymmetry. Luca’s asymmetry was 12mm. This measurement compares the right and left diagonals at 30 degrees from the centre of the head, and the difference between the two gives the asymmetry value.
Less than 6mm is regarded as being within the normal range of head shape, while anything over 12mm is considered severe. The second measurement used to assess head shape is the cephalic ratio, which compares the width of the skull with its length. The top end of the normal range is 89%; Luca’s was 99%.
Luca was fitted with his cranial remoulding helmet, the 3D-printed LOCband Lite, two weeks after his assessment. Lauren recalls: “Saeed was brilliant, informative and reassuring in equal measure, and the whole process seemed seamless. Luca had no problems with the helmet and took to it very well. It even acted as a little crash helmet when he was playing with his sister on our hard wooden floors.” At the end of his helmet programme in September, Luca’s cranial asymmetry had reduced to 2mm and his cephalic ratio to 92%.
Lauren concludes: “We are so pleased with the outcome and the support we received; Saeed always made time for face-to-face review appointments when we wanted one. We could not fault the support or service provided by LOC. We never did hear back from our GP.”
If you’re concerned about your baby’s head shape, get in touch today. You can complete our free flat head photo assessment form or contact us to arrange a free consultation with an orthotist.
Backed by clinical research, LOCband Lite is a non-invasive cranial remoulding helmet designed to support a more balanced head shape over time. Results vary depending on age, severity and daily wear time.
“From the very start, everyone at the London Orthotic Consultancy was professional and friendly. Every step of the way was well-explained and the fitting was quick. It only took Magnus one day to get used to the band, and after that, he wasn’t bothered by it at all. And, most importantly, it worked!”
Maria, Magnus’s mother – Plagiocephaly patient
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