The story
When Frankie was just a few weeks old, her Mum, Rebecca noticed she had a bulge on the left-hand side of her tiny head. Concerned, she contacted her Health Visitor who assured her it was completely normal and that it would rectify itself as she became more mobile. As weeks and months passed, Frankie’s flat spot seemed to worsen despite every effort to reposition and turn her day and night. Rebecca frequently spoke to Health Visitors, GP’s and was referred to see a Paediatrician - all of whom seemed completely unphased by Frankie’s head shape and advised that the NHS wouldn’t offer treatment as plagiocephaly is considered a cosmetic condition. Wanting further advice, Rebecca contacted Kate at the Steeper Clinic immediately.

At her first appointment with Kate, a scan established that the diagonal difference measurement of Frankie’s head was almost in the very severe category at 18.8mm, confirming all Rebecca and her husband’s worries to be true.

The solution
When Frankie first visited the Steeper Clinic, she was already 16.5 months old and Kate explained to her parents that the rate of growth is much slower once a baby is over a year old. This meant that a helmet wouldn’t fully correct her head shape, but it could potentially improve it. “Ideally treatment should be started before a baby is 6 months old, as this is when significant results can be seen. Nevertheless, treatment can be given up until a baby is 18 months.” Kate Chauhan, Plagiocephaly Expert at Steeper Clinic.