Plagiocephaly

Avoid Infant Helmets. Stop Feeling Like A Failure.

Scientifically PROVEN, gentle, SAFE techniques by a Board certified physician, and typically half the cost of a helmet.

As a dually board-certified physician who has spoken on the Whole Mother radio show multiple times, taking care of and helping enhance the quality of life of new person is my passion!

WANT A CIRCULAR HEAD SHAPE FOR YOUR KID? CLICK HERE >>

Are you worried that your baby’s head is not shaped correctly? Are you worried about your infant with a flat head? Have you been looking up baby helmets for flat heads? Are you looking for another option to using a Doc Band helmet made by Cranial Technologies, Hanger Cranial Band, or STARband?

If so, let me tell you a story. On a beautiful spring morning, five months ago, two individual women had their first child in neighboring rooms at the same place.  The two babies were very much alike.  Both of them had no complications after a vaginal delivery, both had healthy 7.5 pound boys which were born minutes apart.  Both were discharged within 48 hours –as most deliveries are – and the parents were filled with awe, hope, and dreams about how to give their child a better future. Six months later, these two women bumped into each other at a nearby coffee shop. The two kids were still very much alike.

Both were happily cooing developing children, and… also had lopsided heads.  And both parents, it turned out, felt like failures for having children with flat spots despite changing crib positions, tummy time, placement in the tub, and the “typical” pediatrician talk about helmets. Both shared the fear of family and strangers judging them.  “What’s wrong with your baby?”  “What did you do wrong?”  What happened to him?” But there was a difference.

One of the children’s parents was choosing stickers to decorate her son’s helmet.  The other found a rare and exclusive physician to reshape her son’s head with no embarrassing gear. You probably have not heard of our type of medicine and that’s okay.  There are less than 1200 of us across the country who spent over 10 years training to become dually boarded with this specialty, and even fewer that focus on infants.

No, we are not chiropractors or physical therapists or doing infant massage.  We aim to be your trusted physician, and have the scientific literature to educate our fellow physicians, including your inquisitive pediatrician as to how we can help reshape flat heads without using a helmet.

YES, I’M READY TO END THIS FEAR ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT!

What does a typical treatment look like?

Especially if you use your hands to treat infants, and you are not a chiropractor or physical therapist.  Watch the video below to see.

Is this safe?

Yes! In May 2006, The American Journal of Pediatrics said,  “Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), particularly Osteopathy in the Cranial Field, is safe, effective, and well-tolerated in treating plagiocephaly, torticollis, and many other clinical conditions in children… Those of us who use the osteopathic approach to medicine rarely need to refer our patients for physical therapy or orthotics.”

Watch the testimonial below to hear why my patients are elated, understand additional benefits of this type of therapy, and how affordable it can be.

Don’t just take my word for it.

“Words can’t express the wonderful care Dr. Banik gave my family. After the birth of our first daughter we struggled with feeding and spit up problems as well as an abnormal shaped head from birth trauma. We took our infant to see Dr. Banik monthly for osteopathic treatments and soon noticed dramatic changes in the prior feeding and reflux problems. We also have seen a dramatic difference in the shape of her head – there is no longer a flat spot on the back of her head. We are so thankful for her wonderful treatment” -L.G.

Additional Benefits Too?

Asides from the aesthetic benefits of helping with plagiocephaly, studies have shown infants treated with our form of osteopathic manual medicine (OMM) also experienced:

1. Improved ability to breastfeed.
2. Improved quality of sleep.
3. Improved bowl movements.
4. Improved eye tracking.
5. Improved ability to look to both sides when they previously favored one side Most people want to know, will this work for me?  The only guarantee in medicine is that there are no guarantees.

Thankfully, we haven’t had a parent yet who expressed dissatisfaction for their children with plagiocephaly. OMT is a highly successful, hands-on, non-invasive way to diagnose and treat the body.  Call our office today to book a FREE discovery session to  answer questions you might have, and ensure we all feel comfortable moving forward.  If so, we can proceed with treatment on your appointment day.  If you don’t like what we have to say, you can always go with just the helmet route.  Come see why we have patients are driving from all across the state to get treated.  We also work in conjunction with the helmets, and parents have noticed their time in the helmet is less.

Don’t know where to start and whom to trust? Come learn from the Ultimate Guide To Plagiocephaly and Torticollis. The most comprehensive guide available online with over 40 referenced, credible science articles which can be found here.

Plagiocephaly generally occurs when a baby sleeps in one position most of the time or as a result of traumatic birth. It may sometimes occur before birth, when the mother’s womb is crowded because of twins, fibroids, not having enough amniotic fluid, etc. Plagiocephaly can also occur in premature babies or due to torticollis. Symptoms Symptoms include a flat area on the back or side of the head and scanty hair in that region. This condition may also affect other parts of the head, such as when one ear is positioned forward compared to the other ear. The opposite side of the head may be bulged and the neck, jaw and face may be uneven. Diagnosis Plagiocephaly is diagnosed based on a careful physical examination of your child’s head. X-rays or CT scan may be ordered to rule out other conditions. Treatment Treatment depends on the cause and generally includes a conservative approach. If your child’s sleeping position is the cause of plagiocephaly, you will be advised to regularly change the position of your baby’s head, reduce the time your child lies on their back, and placing the baby on their stomach when awake. In most cases, the condition does not require surgery, responds very well to osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), and is a natural way to correct the shape of the head without the use of a helmet. For a list of articles supporting OMT, please click here.

Infants & Children

• Difficulty Breast-Feeding
• Infant Colic
• Plagiocephaly
• Otitis Media
• Torticollis
• Asthma
• ADHD