One of my favorite things about Ekemona his is gorgeous hair! I mean that kid worked really hard to grow all that luscious hair in the womb. I love to wash his hair, I love to comb his hair, I love to run my fingers through his hair, but I no longer can enjoy it as much for the next 12 weeks.
Why you may ask? Well Ekemona has Torticollis, which is a tight muscle in the neck that causes an infant to favor one side. While favoring this one side it begins to misshape the infant's head and or develop a flat spot which is called Plagiocephaly. The only way to correct it is by wearing a P.A.P Orthosis Helmet. There is nothing that causes Torticollis, sometimes it happens in the womb or it is something the infant develops after birth. If a child has Plagiocephaly it doesn't mean it is caused by Torticollis either, they can happen with or with out each other. To correct the Torticollis you just stretch the neck muscle twice a day. I've been working with him and have already seen a huge difference, and when he becomes more mobile it will no longer be a problem.
The way the helmet works is by placing a little itty bit of pressure on the parts of the head that stick out the most. This causes the head to stop growing in those areas, while the other parts fill out the empty spaces in the helmet. The picture below will help illustrate what I am explaining.
This photo is a bit extreme, but this will give you an idea of what Ekemona's head shape is.
There are many other senarios of Plagiocephaly shapes, but this is E's case.
Good news is little Ekemona is young enough so he will only have to wear it for 12 weeks. Some babies who get the helmet later have to wear it for 6-9 months. If he grows fast there is a chance he will not have to wear it as long.
They make the helmet by first making a mold with plaster. The picture above is a sock to protect the skin and hair from the plaster. The picture below is the plaster hardening. Can we please talk about these darling cheeks?!? I love this little face!
His hair is so long!!!
I want to thank Brittany, Mike and Lily for their help. When I was in Idaho in December (Ekemona was just 2 months old) Mike had noticed Eke's flat spot and how he was favoring one side. Mike continued to tell me about Torticollis. Brittany and Mike learned all about this when taking Lily to her therapies. Because they were able to shine some of their knowledge, I was able to bring it up to my doctor, and a whole 2.5 months later we are able to correct it and Ekemona won't have to spend as much time in the helmet. See Lily, you are already changing peoples' lives and you are only 8 months old.
The only thing I don't like about this helmet is how hot he gets in it. His hair already acts like a perfect wool hat, but now he has this thick plastic thing that doesn't breath on top of that!!! So I hate to say it, but we most likely will be trimming his "Samson's Hair" to help keep him cool. The doctor said the shorter the better. Regardless of the love I have for his hair, whatever will help my little ninja, I am all for it.
10 comments:
McKinley, your son is just precious. I'm sorry you're dealing with these issues. I realize that in the grand scheme of things, this isn't that big a deal, but he's your baby and so, it's a big deal. As you know, I'm all about cutting the hair short if it helps. And it will always grow back. He's gorgeous, even in his plaster helmet. THOSE CHEEKS!!
Oh McKinley! That little man has the cutest cheeks! I love how chunky they are! I'm glad you guys were able to catch the problem earlier. They say the quicker to find it the easier it is to fix. The great thing is it is harder on you then it is on him...and he won't ever remember it ;)
What great parents! Way to be on top of it! I can't believe he is so calm while all that plaster is on his head. He is soooooooo delicious!!!
Oh he looks adorable in the plaster picture! Chubby cheeks are the best. I can't stop kissing Treys! You are lucky you caught it early. My sister's nephew has to wear his for a year.
What a cutie he is!! I hope the next 12 weeks fly by for both of you guys!!
THOSE CHEEKS!! I love them! and in the grand scheme of things, 12 weeks is no biggie :) He still looks so cute even with his helmut :)
Shoot Kinners! We had to really work with our little man on this as well. He totally favored one side and we were able to trick him into the other side before it was to the point of a helmet. So funny all the little things you have to watch for. Anyway, I just adore your little guy. So darling!
I have a friend who just finished going through the same thing with her daughter. The results were amazing.. the before and after pictures are amazing..
it will be hard but look how cute he is :)
He is so so cute! No one could ever poke fun at him for having to wear a helmet with a face like that :) I'm glad I'm aware of the condition. Did you have to ask your doctor if Z had it, or did he bring it up? I worry that some pediatricians might not catch that stuff.
Thank you so much for your amazing comment last week. I read and reread it and loved what you had to say from your experience.
Thank you for being the kind of friend I can always turn to. I'm sure you'll get a random call from me when I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to be reminded of what you said about sacrifice. Love you, McKinley!
Aarika
Oh, and I would love to read the books that worked for you. You sound like the ideal mom.
He is absolutely precious!!! I'm glad you are able to get this taken care of quickly!
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