
Thank goodness we found you! My son was born with torticollis and, as a result, always slept on one side. We had no idea this would lead to the flattening of his head, especially since no advice was provided post-birth. He was subsequently diagnosed with Plagiocephaly and a 15mm asymmetry (which is classed as moderate).
We felt incredibly let down by the initial lack of guidance. While repositioning could have helped in those early weeks, by the time we realised there was an issue, too much time had passed to correct it without intervention.
Navigating the next steps was difficult, as we were faced with a plethora of misinformation. We had several NHS and private consultations, but no one could categorically tell us that a helmet would fix it. The "party line" from the NHS is that they don’t work, but I can now categorically say that is simply not true!
We initially met with a different helmet company but got cold feet when they couldn't guarantee the results, they estimated a "best-case" improvement of only 9mm. Following a discussion with Bassel Zebian, a Paediatric Neurosurgeon at King's College Hospital, he recommended we see Dr. Stenhouse at Ahead4babies. After discovering that two of our friends had also used them, we felt reassured enough to reach out.
From the very first phone call, we were sold. They were clear about what to expect, answered all our questions, and confirmed they could get the asymmetry down to 0mm. Knowing the clinic is run by craniofacial surgeons gave us total peace of mind that we were in good hands.
Dr. Stenhouse, who carried out our son’s treatment, is a Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon at King’s College Hospital. He is incredibly honest about expected outcomes and will not recommend a helmet if it isn't truly necessary. After the first meeting, you are given the space to digest the information and decide whether or not to proceed. This was a breath of fresh air compared to other companies that seem to focus more on profit than actual need. While other helmets might look "flashier," they often work by removing layers as the head grows. In my opinion, this is far less effective than Dr. Stenhouse’s approach, as he bespokely trims the inside of the helmet to accurately adapt to the head as it grows.
Our son wore his helmet for 17 weeks in total. We eventually agreed it was time to stop at 1mm asymmetry rather than risk overcorrection. Throughout the process, the 24/7 WhatsApp support team was fantastic, making the entire journey incredibly smooth.
To any parents in doubt, if your child has moderate or severe asymmetry and you are past the first 12 weeks where repositioning is most effective, get the helmet! It is extremely unlikely to improve significantly on its own. It is also VERY important that you take action early while their head is still soft to see faster results, ideally as soon as they can support their head (around 4–5 months).
I hope this helps other parents navigating this process. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on social media. I’ll leave you with a picture of the result, one happy baby with a perfectly shaped head!
Seen for:
Plagiocephaly (Flat Head Syndrome)