Treating Plagiocephaly
The Hanger Cranial Band
Cranial bands are a treatment option for infants with abnormal head shape or “deformational plagiocephaly.” The term plagiocephaly is used to describe the flattening or deformation of an infant’s head and is often classified as mild, moderate or severe.
Many factors contribute to the development of deformational plagiocephaly, including premature births, multiple births, restrictive intrauterine positioning, congenital muscular torticollis, trauma at birth, and cervical spine abnormalities. When an infant is born, their skull is very malleable. This malleable nature allows for passage through the birth canal and the rapid growth experienced during the first year of life. Unfortunately, the malleable nature also presents the potential for deformational plagiocephaly.
Eighty-five percent of infants diagnosed with plagiocephaly also show signs of “torticollis,” a tightness or shortening of one of the muscles located on the side of the neck. This causes the infant to continually rest his/her head in the same position. Repetitive pressure can create or contribute to a flattening of one side of the back of the skull and consequently, a prominence on the opposite side.
The Hanger Cranial Band is an FDA cleared orthosis used to treat deformational plagiocephaly. Cranial remolding bands are most effective with infants 4-12 months of age. During this developmental stage, the skull is very malleable to allow for rapid brain growth. Cranial bands may be worn until 18 months of age. After this time, the bones of the skull have fused and orthotic treatment is much less effective. If deformational plagiocephaly and congenital muscular torticollis are both present, it is common to combine orthotic cranial remolding techniques with physical therapy.
Many parents wonder if wearing a cranial band might be painful to their infant and the answer is no. Cranial remolding is not achieved by placing severe pressures on the skull. The cranial band applies steady, even pressure over the areas of the skull that are most prominent. Opposite of this, the band has open areas where the flattened section of the skull can grow. The design of the orthosis is to direct the natural growth of the skull towards a more symmetrical and/or proportional shape.
The Hanger Cranial Band can also reflect your infant’s personality – whether it is butterflies or race cars, Hanger offers many patterns and designs to choose from.
The Advantage of the Hanger Cranial Band
- 670 offices to provide services for families that relocate or go on vacation
- Network of cranial specialists
- Intensive training course for specialization
- Mentoring program for newly trained clinicians
- Clinical consultation available from network of specialists for difficult cases
- Hanger works with nationally and internationally recognized craniofacial surgeons
Fitting the Hanger Cranial Band
Hanger Cranial Bands are custom-made to fit the individual shape of each baby’s head. The Insignia™ laser scanning system uses a hand-held scanner and a computer to capture and store three-dimensional images of an infant’s head. Measurements are exact to within one millimeter, and the scanning process is quick, easy and painless. The best part is that Insignia™ is noninvasive which means the practitioner does not touch the infant’s head, but instead, moves the scanner around the head, usually while the infant is sitting securely and contently in their parent’s lap. This eliminates the discomfort associated with making a plaster cast of the head.
Typically, infants wear the cranial band for 22-23 hours a day, and the treatment program may continue up to 18months of age. As the baby grows, follow-up visits with the orthotist are required to adjust the fit of the cranial band and ensure the best clinical outcome for your baby.
About Insignia™ Laser Scan
One of the ways Hanger has made the fitting process easier for pediatric patients is with Insignia™, a three-dimensional laser scanning system. Insignia makes it easy to measure and fit pediatric patients for a brace, support or prosthetic socket. Unlike other laser scanners, with Insignia™ your infant can feel secure sitting in the comfort of your lap.
With the Insignia hand-held scanner and a computer, your orthotist can capture and store 3-D images of the effected area and then use these to create the Hanger Cranial Band. Insignia images are exact to within one millimeter and the scanning process is quick, easy, and painless. There may be some circumstances where your orthotist prefers to do a traditional cast of the affected area using plaster or another malleable material.
There is also significant overall time and cost-savings by using of the Insignia scanning system. Historically, impression procedures have been time-consuming, tedious, and if sedation was indicated, supplementary medical staff to monitor the patient. Insignia laser scans can be completed by the orthotist in a matter of minutes, reducing the medical costs of sedation and allowing health care professionals additional time to spend with their patients.