Miles Roberts with flat head syndrome now has a special helmet to treat it
A mother managed to raise £2,000 in just 24 hours to pay a special helmet for her son, who was born with flat-head syndrome.
Kate Roberts, 24, noticed her son Miles had a slightly different shaped head when he was born, and at three months, he was diagnosed with brachycephaly, also known as 'flat head syndrome'.
This when the back of the head becomes flattened, causing the head to widen and the front of the skull to bulge out.
Doctors believe it is caused by babies sleeping on their back, and as it is not medically dangerous, the NHS does not pay for treatment.
Instead, parents are advised to move their children on to their stomachs during the day.
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Kate Thomas raise £2,000 in just one day to pay for a special helmet for her son Miles, who was born with flat head syndrome
Flat head syndrome is where the back of the head becomes flattened, causing the head to widen and the front of the skull to bulge out. It is thought to be caused by babies sleeping on their back
But after doing some research Mrs Thomas was shocked to discover the condition can lead to facial disfigurement and even blindness.
The mother-of-two visited a private clinic and was told Miles, now eight months, needed cranium orthosis treatment, known as 'helmet treatment', that costs around £2000.
She set up a GoFundMe account and wrote a Facebook status describing Miles' situation and in just 24 hours she had raised the money that she needed.
The call centre advisor, of Sunderland, said: 'We noticed his head was a slightly different shape when he was born.
'I had twins and his head looked a lot different to his sister Aoife's.
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Share 367 shares'When he was three months it became a lot more visible and we took him to the doctors.
'They had a feel of his head and felt mine and my husband's and realised it was not hereditary.'
Miles was referred to Sunderland Hospital in January 2015, where doctors carried out X-rays to rule out craniosynostosis, a more serious head condition that can cause headaches, learning difficulties and eye problems.
They found he did not have this condition and diagnosed flat head syndrome.
As it is a cosmetic, rather than medical problem, the NHS said it would not pay for treatment.
Doctors say if parents move their babies onto their tummies during the day, as well as changing them from different chairs, so there isn't constant pressure on the back of the head, the condition should improve within eight weeks.
WHAT IS FLAT HEAD SYNDROME?
Babies sometimes develop a flattened head when they're a few months old, usually from sleeping on their back.
It's known as 'flat head syndrome' or 'moulding'.
Sometimes the head can be flattened on one side (known as plagiocephaly) or the back of the head becomes flattened, causing the head to widen and the skull to bulge out (known as bracycephaly).
The head can be flattened in the womb, and the condition is more common in babies born prematurely because they're squeezed through the birth canal when their skulls haven't fully developed.
But the most common cause is because babies now sleep on their backs every night – a position doctors advise to prevent cot death.
When they lie on their backs, the full weight of their heads rests on the back of their skulls and the pressure of the mattress on their soft skull causes it to become flat.
The conditions is not thought to be medically dangerous.
Doctors advise changing the baby's position in the day to relieve pressure on the back of its head, and it will often correct itself over time.
However, they warn parents not to change their baby's sleeping position from lying on their back at night.
It's very important for babies to sleep on their back, because it reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Source: NHS Choices
But Mrs Thomas became worried about the shape of Miles' head, and began researching the condition online.
She said: 'They did reassure me that he would have no further problems but I wasn't convinced.
'I was a bit shocked and felt a bit isolated.
'I got told off by my husband for worrying but after looking around on the internet and noticed the consequences that could happen if Miles did not get the treatment he needed.'
'We went to a private clinic and they said he could have serious facial disfigurement and that he could lose sight in his right eye.
'They said his eye was already set back 16mm and this could cause serious problems.'
The clinic recommended a treatment known as helmet therapy, in which babies wear a custom-built helmet which applies pressure to the bulging parts of the baby's skull and relieves pressure from the flatter parts, allowing growth in these areas.
The controversial treatment is not available on the NHS as doctors say there is not enough evidence it works if parents change their babies position in the day.
Worried about Miles' eyesight, Mrs Thomas decided to raise the money for the special helmet, which costs around £2,000.
She decided setup a GoFundMe page online and hosting raffles in her local pub.
She said: 'The response was incredible. I needed £1950 so I thought I would have a raffle and a charity night in my local pub to start off the fundraising.
'I then put a Facebook status up describing what Miles needed and set up a gofundme page.
'I started the page at 5.30pm on Thursday and by 9.30pm on Friday night we had the money raised.
'I am stunned by everyone's generosity and can't believe that people would be so kind.
As flat head syndrome is considered a cosmetic problem, the NHS doesn't fund treatment. But Mrs Thomas went to a private clinic who warned Miles could lose his sight due to the condition
Thanks to donations from friends and strangers, Miles will be fitted with a custom-built helmet later this month, which he will have to wear for six months to change the shape of his head
'A man from Newcastle that I don't even know donated £500 and simply wrote "hope this helps" as his message on the site.'
Miles will be fitted with a helmet on April 30th and will need to wear it for five to six months to change the shape of his head.
Mrs Thomas said she is relieved her son will be treated and believes more research should be carried out into flat head syndrome.
She said: 'I'm delighted that he is finally getting his treatment and would again like to thank everyone who donated.
'I don't think there has been enough study into this syndrome but if there are genuine chances of facial disfigurement then it surely needs more attention.
'It was now or never as after 14 months his head would not have been able to be fixed.
'I hope this works as we just want our beautiful smiley Miley to be OK.'
WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOUR BABY HAS A FLAT HEAD
Treatment may not be necessary in mild cases of plagiocephaly or brachycephaly.
The baby's skull should correct itself naturally over time if parents take some simple measures to take pressure off the flattened part of their head and encourage them to try different positions.
Doctors advise:
- Giving your baby time on their tummy during the day and encouraging them to try new positions during play time
- Switching your baby between a sloping chair, a sling and a flat surface, so that there isn't constant pressure on one part of their head
- Changing the position of toys and mobiles in their cot to encourage your baby to turn their head to the non-flattened side
- Consider physiotherapy if your child is only able to turn their head one way; tight neck muscles may be preventing them from turning their head to the other side.
Parents may need to try these measures for six to eight weeks before they notice an improvement in the shape of the baby's head.
Source: NHS Choices
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