Babies wear helmets primarily to correct unusual head shapes, a treatment known as helmet therapy or cranial orthosis. This therapy is used when a baby develops a flat spot or asymmetrical head shape, often due to their soft and malleable skulls that are still growing rapidly. These helmets gently reshape the skull by applying consistent pressure to certain areas while allowing others to expand, helping to ensure a more typical, rounded head shape. The helmets are custom-made based on measurements of the baby's head and are typically worn for about 23 hours a day over a few months. This treatment is most effective when started early, during the period when the baby's skull bones have not yet fully fused and the brain is growing rapidly. The use of helmets is often linked to conditions like positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), which has become more common due to safe sleeping practices that position babies on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
