A team of Bristol specialists say more research is needed into flat head syndrome, a condition thought to affect up to 40% of babies.
Southmead Hospital runs the only NHS clinic offering helmet therapy for babies with flattened heads.
Advice to put babies to sleep on their backs to prevent crib death is one of the most successful public health interventions, but it can cause babies to develop a flat head.
Most cases are mild and correct themselves over time, but babies with moderate to severe cases may be referred to experts in Bristol board for cosmetic treatment.
The reconstructive science team takes photographs of the babies’ heads which are processed using 3D software to help create personalized helmets with a 3D printer.
Babies six months and older are generally recommended to wear the helmet for 23 hours a day.
The helmet corrects the condition by relieving pressure on the flat side.
It is a unique clinic; the only one National Health Service Trust the country by offering helmet therapy for babies with a flat head, known as plagiocephaly or brachycephaly.
Elsewhere, parents have to go privately and, at a cost of £2,500, it can be prohibitively expensive.
“There is not much information out there”
We met mum Becky Darby and her one-year-old son Leo at the Bristol clinic.
Becky says she started worrying about the shape of her head when she was four months old. “One side of his head was flat and the rest was perfectly round, but when I was constantly lying on it, it became flatter,” he said.
Becky was frustrated by the lack of guidance.
“I didn’t know what I was doing and there’s not a lot of information out there,” he said.
Leo has been wearing the helmet for five months and his progress is regularly monitored.
Controversial evidence
Data on flat head syndrome is scarce and scientists at the clinic are conducting research to investigate further.
Becky Darby said getting the helmet treatment was the “best decision” she made
The NHS has said the evidence that helmets work is “unclear” and that they can cause other problems such as skin irritation and rashes.
“These helmets and headbands are generally not recommended,” according to the NHS.
Reconstructive scientist Amy Davey wants to raise awareness and is creating a baby screening tool that will help find the “right treatment pathway” for babies.
“There certainly needs to be more research done to understand when and where we can go and help with helmet therapy, and where there are alternatives,” he said.
Doctors agree that more research is needed, but caution that parents should not stop putting their babies to sleep on their backs.
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Parents are still recommended to put babies to sleep on their backs.
Dr Joanna Garstang is a community pediatrician and adviser to cot death charity Lullaby Belief.
He told us that while flat head syndrome is common, “in almost all cases it resolves spontaneously as the baby grows and begins to sit up and crawl.”
Putting babies to sleep on their backs is a public health success, reducing the number of sudden infant deaths by 90% since the late 1980s.
“Even if parents are concerned about a flat head, putting babies to sleep on their back is by far the safest way to sleep. If they are concerned about flat head, they should speak to their GP or health visitor,” Dr Said Garstang said.
Becky Darby says choosing helmet therapy is “the best decision” she made.
As for Leo, his helmet is working and he should take it off soon.
