Why Get A Second Opinion?

A second opinion is a valuable resource when you are faced with difficult choices regarding your child’s treatment options. Depending on where you live and your availability for travel, you may have limited access to highly specialized care. CAPPSKIDS.ORG brings all of the condition-specific specialists to you in one place allowing you to receive a 2nd opinion from a known specialist in this particular field.

Does My Health Insurance Cover This Second Opinion?

The CAPPSKIDS.ORG Second Opinion Program is a self-pay program with a minimal fee. Our fees are in place in order to fund the program. There are assistance programs in place so that if you have difficulty making this payment you can contact us to see if you qualify for a free consultation.

Navigating your child's diagnosis of Craniosynostosis

Positional or Deformational Plagiocephaly is a flat spot on the back or side of a baby’s head. The condition can be mild to severe and may cause asymmetry to the baby’s head, face, eyes, jaw and ears.What causes Positional Plagiocephaly?Starting in the early 1990s, parents were told to put their babies to sleep on their back to reduce the risk of SIDS.

While this advice has saved thousands of lives, experts have noticed a fivefold increase in misshapen heads since then. While it is important to place your baby on his/her back to sleep, there are steps that you can take to avoid a “flat head”.

Position is the most common cause of Positional Plagiocephaly .Another common cause for Positional Plagiocephaly is TORTICOLLIS. Some baby’s may seem to have a strong preference to look in one direction or may seem to “tilt” their head to one side. This can lead to a limited range of motion in the neck from muscles being tight. This is called Torticollis.(see our section on Torticollis for more information) Some babies develop positional plagiocephaly in the uterus , sometimes from position and often with multiple births. What should I do if I notice a flat spot or asymmetry of my baby’s head?It is important that all babies heads are evaluated at every well visit by their pediatrician.

If an asymmetry or flattening is noticed early (prior to 4 months), repositioning or physical therapy may be recommended. If the asymmetry or flat spot does not seem to correct with this conservative management, the baby must be sent to a specialist for evaluation and treatment and a cranial orthosis (cranial band or helmet) may be recommended.

How do I know which treatment is right for my baby?

Only a specialist (Craniofacial Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, or recommendations from a qualified Orthotist) can determine what type of treatment is best for your baby’s condition. It is important that you, the parent are given all of your options. this will allow you to make an informed decision and decide what is best for your child.If you decide to go with a Cranial Remodel Orthosis (CRO) it is important that you ask questions. Questions to ask your potential cranial band provider:

What type of cranial band do you use?
How do you get the impression? (cast, scan, starscan, camera, guesswork)
How accurate is your method?
How many have you done?
Do you take insurance?
Are you in network? If so, how?
What is your rate of insurance approval?
What is you education, are you a CPO (certified Practioner)?
What is the frequency of return visits? Once a week or every 2 weeks?
Do you do free evaluations?
Will you explain the measurements?
How long might I expect my baby to be in his/her band?
How many of your patients require a second band?

To find a qualified provider see our provider directory.