The Low Down on Baby Helmets

“Your child needs a helmet.”

Five words no mom wants to hear. In fact, the first time the doctor mentioned the idea of a helmet for my son, I’m pretty sure I cried for 2 hours. I felt guilty and isolated! But worry not mamas, you aren’t alone. Or guilty.

Let’s start with the guilt. It is not your fault that your child has a flat spot or non-perfectly shaped head. Repeat this to yourself several times. I think my head is seriously misshapen, and this phenomenon of perfectly shaped baby heads is rather new. You probably went to physical therapy and did terrible neck stretches with your little one to still get a helmet. It’s ok, we are all trying and you aren’t the first one to not be able to skip the helmet.

Once a doctor recommends a helmet, it is SO easy to blow them off. I remember telling my husband our son’s head was fine. It was perfect to us. I knew my son would adjust perfectly, but I was too proud. I wasn’t sure I could handle explaining to everyone why he has a helmet. Be sure to make the decision that is right for your child, not for you. I’ve had numerous people tell me they skipped the helmet with their child and regretted it later. My son will thank me someday or at least not complain to me for not fixing his head.

The initial price tag is overwhelming. Many insurance carriers don’t cover helmets at all because they are cosmetic. Ugh, you just paid your deductible after having a child and now you owe thousands (yes, I said thousands) more. There are local organizations that will help with the cost if needed. Be sure to inquire with the prosthetic company you choose about this.

You have a small window of time. I’m by no means a helmet expert, but they were adamant that it’s something to get your child into early. If you think your child might need a helmet, be sure to address it with your doctor as soon as possible.

Once you make a decision, the process is much simpler than you might think. They will measure your child’s head so they have base measurements. They will do a very quick head scan on your child which is used to order their custom size. At the first fitting they will make sure it fits properly around the face and ears and give you a tutorial about use and cleaning. You will gradually have your child wear the helmet longer each day until you reach 23 hours per day. The longevity of time each child must wear the helmet depends, but we were told it’s usually 3 to 6 months. You take your child in for check ups every few weeks to see how the shape is improving.

baby helmets
My son right after he was fitted with his helmet. He was only angry for a few hours!

It is one of those things that is much tougher on the mom than the child. My son noticed his helmet for the first few hours and hasn’t cared since.  It has saved him from lots of bumps and bruises on his head. I’m honestly going to miss it now that I’m used to his head being protected!

I recommend having the helmet decorated to make it more fun. We had our sons painted, and I love it. The conversation with strangers changed from “why” to “he is the cutest thing”. My son doesn’t know the difference, but do it for you mama. It will make you feel better.

baby helmets
A little paint can go a long way to making the helmet more fun. Image courtesy of Jacque Inc. Photography

The one pitfall I have to mention is that your child will sweat in the helmet. A lot. I wasn’t prepared for it to smell like a dirty sock each night. Rest assured, if you scrub it with your child’s shampoo and warm water each night, the smell goes away. But be forewarned, you really have to scrub.

Has one of your children had to wear a baby helmet?

 

Ilex Gelpi
Ilex grew up in the Wichita area, leaving for four years to attend the University of Kansas. After earning a degree in Finance, Ilex returned to Wichita (against all odds) to chase a great career opportunity. Shortly after returning, she met her husband Michael at a local bar and they have been married for 6 years. The couple has two boys, ages three and one. Ilex left her career in finance at Koch to try the stay at home mom gig and loves it. She is a survivor of heart disease and lives with T1D, which leads her to live each day to the fullest. She loves spending time with family and friends, going to the gym and is always in the middle of a great book. Ilex enjoys giving back to the community and is currently serving as Past President of the Ballet Wichita Board of Directors and a sustainer in the Junior League of Wichita.

7 COMMENTS

  1. I can see this very comforting for new mom’s facing the same thing. I’m thankful our medical practices have made this such a quick process early in life.
    All the best to you,
    Dana

  2. Our son wore a helmet for 4 months and I was guilty and embarrassed for just a moment at first too, but then I was proud to share & educate and now (4 years later) I’m so, so, so glad we did the helmet! Would do it all over again, sooner!

  3. My son had the same helmet! We LOVED the design. He wore it for 2 months and I am so glad we did it. It was difficult in the beginning but we started the helmet early and therefore, it wasn’t on too long. Thank you for sharing!

  4. I have twins and they both wore helmets. I wish someone had said these things years ago when they wore them. It was very emotional for me, feeling like I had caused this. After 8 months in the helmets, I can say it was worth it. A tip on getting rid of the smell, use rubbing alcohol on the inside of the helmet to clean it. It got rid of our smell.

  5. Thanks for posting this I thought my son might have to have a helmet also but we have met with PT and repositioning has improved his head. I’m thinking him being in the rock n play sleeper from newborn to almost 3 months caused his misshaped head and torticollis. It’s nice to know we aren’t the only ones going through similar situations.

  6. Great post from a families perspective! It is important to know that helmets aren’t purely cosmetic though. The skull helps shape the underlying structures especially the brain! With pressure from the skull on the brain, development can be affected!

  7. My daughter had surgery to separate her skull bones that had fused too early (sagittal synostosis) which left her with a soft spot about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. She has to wear a helmet for 5-6 months to help it heal correctly.

Comments are closed.