Expensive helmets do not correct skull flattening in babies

Babies whose skulls become deformed from lying in the same position for long periods do not benefit from wearing a corrective helmet, a study has found.

The Helmet therapy Assessment in Deformed Skills (HEADS) randomised trial investigated the treatment of positional skull deformation or plagiocephaly, which affects around a fifth of babies under the age of 6 months. The condition has become more common since parents were advised to lay their babies on their backs to sleep to reduce the risk …