Megan Story..
When our pediatrician told us at 6 months that Megan might have Plagiocephaly, we experienced a wide range of emotions. We were shocked at first, then scared and worried, and finally anxious. We had never heard of such a thing, and we certainly didn’t feel that our beautiful little girl needed any such treatment. We thought her head MIGHT look a little flat in the back, but of course as proud parents with a perfect child, we didn’t consider it anything to worry about and that it would just get better with time. We of course were wrong, and would later discover that we made the very best choice for what was best for Megan.
Our pediatrician referred us to the Children’s Medical Center Craniofacial Center in Dallas for an initial evaluation. They sent us down the hall to the Star Cranial Center to see the Orthotist, Nancy. Megan had many images taken of her head with the Star Scanner, as well as many digital photographs. The clinical staff was VERY thorough, and we could tell right away that if this WAS something Megan needed, we were at the right place.

We later found out that the diagnosis had been made, and Megan had Brachycephaly. We were told that she would need a STARband cranial remolding orthosis to correct it. We were very scared and worried for Megan. How would she react to it? Would it be uncomfortable? Would she be in any pain? Would she have trouble sleeping in it? We had seen other babies with these “helmets”, but didn’t know exactly what they were. All we knew is they looked very uncomfortable.

So we did our research about the condition on the internet and thought very long and hard about whether we should put Megan in this helmet, also called a “band”. We thought maybe when her hair grew, that no one would even notice that the back of her head was flat. We also thought that we might regret it later if we didn’t get the treatment because you only have 12 months or so until a baby’s head stops growing. This was important because we also found out that other internal complications could occur if the treatment was not done. We knew we had to decide one way or the other, and fast.
When we finally decided to get the treatment, we chose Star Cranial Center. A big part of our decision to go with them is the Star Scanner. It was extremely fast and painless, and her STARband could be made by using the measurements from the scan instead of having a messy cast made by hand and plaster. And the orthotist is so detail-oriented that we knew the end result would be perfect.

Megan has been wearing the STARband for almost 4 months now, and we can honestly say that we are thrilled with our decision. Megan adapted to her STARband immediately, and it never seemed to bother her at all. What we have found from talking to other parents with children with the same condition is simply this: it is much harder on us as parents than the child!

We are so pleased with the results and could see a difference almost right away! Her head is now a beautiful round shape. We are so happy with the care she has received at the Star Cranial Center, and everyone there has been WONDERFUL. We would wholeheartedly recommend the Star Cranial Center to anyone whose child might have plagiocephaly. As parents, we all want the best for our children, and we believe they are!

Jill and James McDow