Throughout treatment, there might be some situations where you may wish to seek advice from your clinician in regards to your baby’s helmet. We’ve put together this guide to help you to know when you should contact your clinician or whether you can find your answers from us online!
When to Contact the Clinic
Whilst your baby is wearing the TiMbandAir your clinician will see you regularly throughout the course of treatment, but there might be times when you’re not sure and you need advice.
As the TiMbandAir treatment uses growth to bring about correction, the fit of your baby’s TiMbandAir will understandably change during treatment. This is completely normal and is a good sign that your little one’s head is growing and changing shape.
If you are concerned, bring this up at your next appointment and your clinician will adjust your baby’s helmet to make sure that there is room for the continuing growth over the next few weeks. If you feel that the helmet is getting very tight and uncomfortable, and your baby needs their helmet adjusting before your next appointment, you can contact us and arrange to have your appointment brought forward.
• Your Baby is Poorly
It isn’t uncommon for little ones to experience some form of illness during their first few years, meaning that they might become poorly during their plagiocephaly treatment. If your baby is poorly and you’re unsure about how to continue with their TiMbandAir treatment during their illness, we will be happy to advise you.
But before contacting your clinician, refer to our informative post on How Illness Affects Wearing a Plagiocephaly Helmet as advice on how to adjust treatment to your baby’s particular illness might already be on there.
• You Want to Finish Treatment Early
Treatment length varies depending on each baby’s severity of plagiocephaly or brachycephaly and their age. Our clinicians are able to advise when treatment should end and this will be when there is no more room in the helmet or growth has finished and they see no more improvements being made. However, if for any reason you are happy with the result and you want to end treatment early, free to contact the clinic to move your appointment.
What Not to Worry About
The clinic is only a phone call away if you need, but there are some circumstances where you needn’t worry about getting in touch with your clinician. If your baby is experiencing the following, it might be that our general advice is enough!
• Warm baby
Wearing a helmet is something new and it will take a few days for your baby’s body to adjust. Follow our Wear and Care guide and you’ll find that this settles down quickly. So if you notice your little one being warmer and sweatier than usual at the start of treatment, this is just their body’s way of acclimatising to the helmet. As long as their core temperature is fine, there’s nothing to worry about, and removing a layer or two can help keep your baby cooler until their body becomes used to the extra layer of the helmet.
• Rash
At the start, it’s common for babies to have a sweat rash, particularly during the warm summer months. Generally, your clinician would advise you to apply a little Sudocreme to the skin and strip your baby down to minimal clothing to prevent them from becoming too hot. Your baby can continue wearing their helmet when they have a sweat rash. Just keep an eye on their temperature and give them a rest if they’re looking too hot.
• Smelly helmet
You might notice your little one’s helmet being a bit smelly after you take it off. This is perfectly normal and a result of normal body sweat and hair oils. Don’t worry if this is the case as a simple clean will help to settle this.
Cleaning your baby’s TiMbandAir is very important and doing so will keep it looking and smelling clean and fresh. Remember though, it’s important to only use the cleaning routines that we recommend to prevent the helmet from irritating your baby’s head. Take a look at our cleaning guide for the best ways to do it!
Our Technology in Motion team is dedicated to making your experience with us as easy and enjoyable as possible, helping you every step of the way with your baby’s treatment!
Make sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram for useful advice with your baby’s health and helmet!
