We, the undersigned, request the Government fulfil their obligations towards the purpose of the N.H.S and provide free treatment for moderate to severe sufferers of Flat-head Syndrome.
My 8 month son Reilly has Flat-head Syndrome, like so many other babies he has been forced to have a conditon that could have been avoided and his treatment unlike any other person with a medical condition has had to be funded for privately.
Approximately 1 in 60 babies a year suffer from some form of Flat-head syndrome, which is also known as Plagiocephaly (flatness to side of head) and Brachycephaly (flatness to back of head. The most common cause of this condition is caused due to the positioning of a baby after birth during a time when its skull is malleable and still forming, pressure from the surface of a cot mattress, pushchair/pram etc forces the skull over a period of time to become flat. This could be avoided if the Government made it mandatory for Health Visitors, Midwives and GP's to inform ALL parents of this condition, how best to avoid it and to ensure the babys Red Health Book carries this information too.
Currently NHS guidelines, regardless of severity, state that a 'wait and see' tactic should be taken rather than any aggressive therapy as the condition is treated as purely cosmetic. Statistics are currently showing that the 'wait and see' attitude is ineffective and more positive results are seen using 'helmet therapy'. This is a method where a specially made helmet is made to relieve pressure on the affected part of the head allowing it to grow outwards and in time create more roundness. Typical helmet therapy begins around 5-6 months and as the baby must wear it for 23 hours a day, roundness can be achieved between 3-9 months depending on severity. The best time for this treatment is before a babys skull stops forming at 14-16 months, the NHS would rather you wait years with no guarantee of improvement.
The US and several other countries provide this treatment through health insurance plans, not here in the UK....it is not covered due to being cosmetic. In Spain it is free to all sufferers....in the UK it costs approximately 2000 and only available privately.
The NHS will happily pin back ears and provide braces for 'cosmetic' purposes but not for Flathead Syndrome sufferers. US studies have shown that depending on severity common medical complaints attributed to Flathead syndrome include and are not restricted to : vision and hearing problems, jaw misalignment and developmental delay. Due to obvious abnormality, psychological damage and bullying from school age upwards is common.
The NHS is supposed to provide quality, free healthcare to those suffering from disease, illness or medical conditions regardless of age, race, sex and paid through taxes. Quality, free healthcare for a baby with this condition is NOT 'wait and see' it is and should be treatment which is not at the cost of taxpaying parents !
My son was lucky we could afford the 2000 treatment, many are not so fortunate.