Hazel Miller
Hazel Miller liked to suck her thumb. A lot.
Hazel liked to lie on her side to reach her favorite thumb. Sleeping on the same side every night left a flat spot on her head.
Hazel’s mom Laure Benjamin Miller brought it up at Hazel’s 3-month checkup. Her doctor referred Hazel to pediatric physical therapist Heidi Richardson, PT at NH+C’s Rehabilitation Services.
They tried physical therapy – and a new bedtime routine. “We tried switching sleeping positions, but it didn’t change her habit because she liked sucking her thumb too much,” Laure laughs. Despite these efforts, Hazel’s head shape wasn’t improving. A helmet was recommended to reshape Hazel’s head as she grew: A custom helmet has cushioning with open spaces over the flat areas, allowing the skull to grow into those open spaces and develop a rounder shape as the baby grows.
Orthotist Sara Marmar, CPO fitted Hazel for her helmet through NH+C’s partner Orthotic Care Services. “Sara did a great job explaining everything,” Laure says. “She was always very easy to work with, and very accommodating with our schedule. A few times Hazel had big growth spurts, and Sara took care of adjusting her helmet right away.”
Growth spurts are good. As the baby grows, the orthotist adjusts the cushioning inside the helmet to make space for the head to grow into its rounder shape.
Hazel wore her helmet for two months – shorter than usual, thanks to those growth spurts. Most babies wear a plagio helmet for 3-6 months.
Hazel’s helmet “didn’t even phase her,” Laure says. When Sara put Hazel’s helmet on during her first fitting, “Sara said, ‘Let’s leave this on for about 15 minutes and see how she does,’ and Hazel fell asleep, she was so comfortable.”
It takes frequent appointments (typically every two weeks) to check on the baby’s growth, and make adjustments. “I feel very fortunate to have this available in Northfield,” Laure says. “If we had to drive up to the Cities every two weeks, that would have been a lot.
“They made it as convenient as possible for us. Knowing that it wasn’t a huge inconvenience to Hazel made the whole process totally worth it.
“It was a great experience for a situation we’ve never experienced before,” Laure says.
NH+C’s partner Orthotic Care Services even helped with insurance coverage: “They provide information to your insurance carrier to make it go well,” Laure says. “They were also conscious of our deductible, which was really considerate.”
Laure’s advice for parents who may worry about their own child: “Just push for what you think is right. It might seem like a lot of work, but in the end it flies by like everything else with young kids, and it’s worth it.”