Babies who need to wear specially fitted helmets usually have plagiocephaly, an asymmetrical head shape often related to the "back to sleep" campaign, which has reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. When a baby spends more time on his back, he's more likely to develop a misshapen head. Other medical conditions can also cause plagiocephaly. Some babies with plagiocephaly need to wear a helmet for several months to reshape the head. Because helmets can cause skin irritation and breakdown, you need to inspect the skin beneath the helmet carefully.
Inspection
When your baby first starts wearing a helmet to treat plagiocephaly, he'll wear the helmet for just a few hours at a time so you can check the fit and look for areas that become reddened or irritated. After a day or two, your child will wear his helmet for 23 hours a day for 2 to 4 months, taking it off only for bathing. Inspection of the baby's head for irritated or sore areas on a daily basis is extremely important.
Daily Care
Because your baby will get sweaty under the helmet, even though it's lightweight, wash his hair every day when you remove the helmet, the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne recommends. Clean the band itself only with the agents recommended by your fitting center. Some centers use isopropyl alcohol to clean the band, the Positional Plagiocelphaly Parents Support states. Other cleansers can leave a residue that could cause skin irritation and increase the risk of skin breakdown.
Infection
A helmet is carefully fitted to your baby's head, but a baby's delicate skin can break down under pressure from a mechanical device, especially on the back of the head. If the skin under the helmet turns red, swollen or leaks pus, your baby may have a skin infection. If this occurs, leave the helmet off and notify your child's doctor, who may prescribe topical or systemic antibiotics to treat an infection.
Considerations
Only a few babies with plagiocephaly need helmets to improve their head shape. Besides positional plagiocephaly, torticollis, an abnormal tightness in the muscles on one side of the neck, can also necessitate helmet use. Most children who wear helmets do not experience any complications from their use. Careful daily inspection will detect small areas of irritation or redness before infection can develop.
