We took Cade for his consultation at Cranial Technologies on Friday. The appointment started off with a photographer taking pictures and measurements of Cade's head. After that we met with a Physical Therapist that went over the results with us. The pictures showed that because of the flat spot on the left side of Cade's head, he has increased head height on the right side, a head tilt to the left and a sloped forehead. When they did the measurements he has a 5 cm difference in his ear to eye positioning and a 12 cm difference in the diagonal length of his head so there definitely is some facial asymmetry. A DOC band was recommended for Cade and the Physical Therapist said that we have an excellent chance for correction. Along with the recommendation for the band the PT also said that Cade favors turning his head to the right still and recommended that we continue the left neck stretches as well as some new stretches to increase his neck strength.
The results from our appointment were sent to our Pediatrician and the insurance person for Cranial Technologies will contact our Pedi for a letter of recommendation and then contact our insurance company about the treatment early next week. After she has all of the information from our insurance company she will call us to schedule our next appointment. Unfortunately, a lot of insurance companies won't pay for this therapy because they believe it is a cosmetic fix and not a medical fix. While there are some cosmetic components to the fix it is also a medical condition that can cause jaw problems, vision problems and migraines, as well as developmental delays. It can also cause a child to not be able to fit into a bicycle, baseball, or football helmet. (The cost of treatment is $3,800 so we are really hoping that our insurance will pay for at least part of it!) Hopefully we will hear something on Monday or Tuesday and can schedule our next appointment for the end of the week.
During the next appointment they will obtain a 3D image of Cade's head using a machine they have called the DSi (Digital Surface Imaging). This machine has 15 high resolution digital cameras that are strategically placed to capture a complete 360 degree image of the infant's head shape. This information will then be sent to Arizona where they manufacture the bands and a band will be created for Cade and sent to us in a week.
Once we receive the band, Cade will be required to wear it 23 hours each day. We will take the band off with each diaper change to clean Cade's head and the helmet and perform his neck stretches and then put it back on. The only other time it will come off is during bath time. We will take Cade back to Cranial Technologies once a week throughout the treatment for them to evaluate the band and make adjustments. Hopefully Cade will just need to wear the band for 6-8 weeks in order to achieve the desired results.
We are anxious to hear what our insurance company says and to get the treatment started in hopes that we can have everything done and Cade out of the band before it gets brutally hot out this summer!
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