Tri Pillow is recommended by many doctors.
We will introduce some recommendation comments from doctors in this page.
Head turning preference - What is it and why does it happen?
First of all, why is the shape of a baby's head so easily deformed?
In fact, the skull is divided into several parts, which overlap as it emerges from the mother's body, allowing it to pass through the narrow birth canal.
This is why the shape of the head visibly changes within a few days after birth.
Parts of cranial bones are connected to each other loosely and not fixed when the baby is born. So, the head shape is easily deformed until half an year after birth,
The shape of the head gradually becomes fixed and difficult to change, and although it changes somewhat as the child grows, the general shape is established by early infancy.
Usually, children become able to turn over by themselves only at 5 to 6 months of age. This makes difficult for children whose head has been deformed before then to turn around to correct the shape of their head by themselves.
This is called “head turning preference”. Once the preference is developed, it becomes easy to fall into a vicious cycle in which the head is turned in that direction only, and the deformation of the head becomes even stronger.
This means that, if you want to reduce deformation of the head shape caused by the head turning preference, it is important to take some measures before the child is able to turn over, at around 3 to 4 months of age.
Is deformation of the head a disease?
In conventional pediatric care and health guidance, when pediatricians were consulted by families about the shape of their children's heads during infant health checkups, for example, they usually responded from a medical perspective, saying that "left-right head differences in babies are inevitable," "head turning preference is common," "even if the head is a little misshapen, it is okay because the hair hides it," "the brain is not affected," and "to some extent it will improve naturally”.
In fact, I was one of them. It is true that most of the deformities of the head are caused by head turning preferences and not diseases.
Of course, some children need surgery because the shape of the head may be deformed due to premature craniosynostosis or diseases from the fetal period.
In addition, vacuum extraction, which is performed for safe delivery management of the child, may cause greater changes in head shape in the early postnatal period.
If it is a Caput Succedaneum, it will go away naturally, but a cephalhematoma may leave part of the head deformed.
What should we do if we are concerned
about
the defomity of the shape of the head?
Whatever the cause of the head deformity, people have often said, "If there is anything we can do, we want to make sure that our children will not have complexes or stress when they reach puberty.
More and more parents these days want to try to fix the shape of the head or keep the deformity mild, if there is a way to do so
In order to provide medical care that is attuned to the emotional needs of these parents, some medical institutions have recently abandoned old teaching methods and started offering helmet therapy
As its name suggests, this involves spending about six months wearing a helmet on the head for most of the day.
As mentioned earlier, head deformity due to head turn preference is not a disease.
Therefore, since the service cannot be provided by insurance, you have to order a custom-made medical helmet and it becomes expensive.
Furthermore, only a limited number of facilities are able to offer this helmet therapy, so unfortunately it is not yet a common solution.
Tri Pillow - An alternative to helmet
therapy
Unlike traditional donut-shaped pillows for babies, Tri Pillow is a pillow that allows the head and body to be easily turned to either side under parental supervision.
It is especially useful for children who cannot turn over on their own.
Unlike helmet therapy, it does not continuously correct the shape of the head, so it may be difficult to aim for short-term cranial correction for children who have already developed a high degree of deformity.
However, for newborns and early infants whose head deformity has not yet developed, or for children with mild head deformity, it may be worthwhile to try this inexpensive and easy-to-implement countermeasure in daily life.
What is plagiocephaly?
Some people may feel that their child’s head may be a little deformed.
Plagiocephaly is a condition in which one side of the head is distorted at an angle when the baby's head is viewed from above. As this distortion progresses, the position of the ears becomes asymmetrical, and distortion occurs not only in the head but also in the face.
What is the cause of plagiocephaly?
1. Cranial suture premature synostosis
The skulls of newborns are separated from each other, and the gap between the sutures is gradually connected around the age of 1.5 to 2 years.
However, if this fusion process occurs too early, the prematurely fused bones cannot grow, and the skull as a whole grows distorted
If the patient has Craniosynostosis, surgery should be considered as soon as possible because the skull does not expand normally, which affects brain development.
2. Pressure on the head during birth
The baby's head is very soft and easily deformed by external pressure. Therefore, if the baby's head is trapped in the birth canal for an extended period of time, it may become distorted.
Also, in a vacuum extraction, the force of the suction can deform the skull.
3. Head turning preference
After birth, the baby's cranial sutures are not fused, and head turning preference can cause distortion.
Pressure on the baby's skull when lying in the same position for prolonged periods of time will lead to head flattening.
Types of plagiocephaly
1. Left posterior positional plagiocephaly - By sleeping with the head facing left side for prolonged periods, the left posterior becomes flat
2. Right posterior positional plagiocephaly - By sleeping with the head facing right side for prolonged periods, the left posterior becomes flat
3. Brachycephaly - The back of the head is flattened and it is caused by remaining in a supine position for prolonged periods
4. Dolichocephaly – The head is longer vertically than expected. It is caused mainly by lying on the sides only
Does plagiocephaly affect the brain?
The medical evidence is not clear on the link between plagiocephaly and developmental delay.
However, cognitive-related declines have been reported in moderate and higher degrees of plagiocephaly, which may increase the risk of developmental delay
Does plagiocephaly heal naturally?
Many people may think that plagiocephaly will go away naturally during the growth process.
But actually, plagiocephaly does not heal naturally and requires early intervention
First, see a doctor to diagnose if the head distortion is due to a disease.
1. Craniosynostosis
If the head distortion is due to Craniosynostosis, early surgery is required
2. Pressure from the outside
If the plagiocephaly is caused by external pressures, it is important to take some countermeasures while the baby’s skull is still soft
Benefits can be achieved if started by 6 months of age, and methods include helmet therapy and repositioning
Helmet therapy
This method naturally corrects the shape of the head during the growth process by wearing a corrective helmet created to fit the shape of the individual baby's head.
The helmet must be worn at all times and some babies might be reluctant to do so, making it difficult for the therapy
Repositioning
Repositoning is a method recommended for babies that doesn't want to wear helmets.
Tri Pillow corrects the habit of sleeping in the same position by adjusting the angle and width of the pillow. 0 to 20 cm in width can be adjusted, and the angle can be fine-tuned to suit each child
Plagiocephaly does not go away naturally, so if you are concerned about the shape of your baby’s head, first make sure it is not a disease, and then correct it while the skull is still soft