Baby Luke ‘needs to wear a helmet 23 hours a day’
AMOTHER says her 10-monthold baby needs to wear a helmet 23 hours a day to help with a medical condition that has flattened his head.
Luke Argust, who is a twin, was born perfectly healthy via Caesarean section to mum Charlene Richardson.
But when he was a few weeks old, Charlene noticed something was wrong.
Luke was diagnosed with plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome, which affects one in every five babies.
“He was breech and so was born at 37 weeks,” 29-year-old Charlene said. “His head was fine then. But from six weeks we started to notice his head was a different shape.”
Her older son, Cameron, now seven, had the same thing. He now struggles with migraines and nose bleeds.
“I was worried as my son has got the same thing,” Charlene said. “We didn’t know that he needed a helmet as well. The doctors said it would go and he’s seven now and his head is flat.”
Charlene was then determined to get treatment for Luke as soon as she could.
“We got referred to hospital and he was given an X-ray and we were discharged. But his head has got worse and worse. He struggles sometimes to support himself sitting up. We’ve been referred again but we’re still waiting now. It’s got to be done before they’re 18 months old.”
Now Charlene, from Merthyr Tydfil, has set up an online fundraising page to try to get the £1,950 she needs for the helmet. The helmet, which has to be worn for 23 hours for up to seven months, itself isn’t available on the NHS.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Charlene said. “They give people nose jobs and that’s not needed but this is.
“Exactly the same thing happened to Cameron. His head hasn’t grown back and he now suffers from migraines and nose bleeds.
“I know how kids can be – so I don’t want Luke bullied.
“I find it absolutely disgusting I can’t get it on the NHS. He’s a baby at the end of the day.
“It’s what’s best for him. I have his best interests at heart.”
According to the NHS Wales website, helmets aren’t available on the NHS for a number of reasons – including “a lack of evidence to suggest they work”.
It added: “Some people try special curved mattresses that are designed to distribute the weight of a baby’s head over a larger area so less pressure is placed on a particular point of their skull.
“These are cheaper than helmets, but there’s only limited evidence to suggest they may help.”
The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) said: “We cannot comment on individual cases, however, this treatment is not currently provided on the NHS across the UK.
“We remain committed to the provision of treatments which deliver the best evidenced outcomes, cost effectively, so that treatment can be made available fairly to all patients.” ■