Ari's First Follow-Up

Ari waiting in the room while his helmet is being adjusted.
You can't really see the rash well from this far away.

Ari's first CranioCap follow-up appointment was today.

I showed the specialist the rash on his head, and she commented that it looked like a pretty decent rash. She said that it did not seem friction related, but more likely heat/moisture related. She thinks that he probably has very sensitive skin (since he also has eczema) and that it's possible that soap residue from his head, the helmet, or both is irritating his skin since it's trapped under the helmet with moisture. She instructed me to only wash his head every-other day for now, even though it's been getting stinky. She also said that I should wipe his helmet out once a day, only with rubbing alcohol, not soap and water. She told me that I should also continue to add additional very short helmet breaks throughout the day like I have been, leaving the helmet off just long enough for his head to dry before putting it back on. She told me to make an appointment to see our primary care doctor about getting some sort of creme if the rash does not go away, or really improve, in one week.

She examined his skull, and said that his occipital bone (the one on the base of the head in the back, if you don't know) is a pretty prominent bump, which is a good sign. She told me that these next two months will still be ones of rapid growth, so we should end up seeing some good results. She said growth will slow down after the 10th month, but won't completely stop, of course.

She then worked on his helmet. She pushed out the helmet in the two areas where his scalp has been showing signs of friction, as well as the areas right above his ears, to alleviate some pressure. She also drilled some more holes in the helmet (the max amount she was able to) to aid in air circulation, and told me that I'm doing a good job not dressing him as warm. She said if his feet and hands are not chilly, then he's warm enough. Good to know!

So yeah, that's it. I included a photo of his lovely rash below... poor boy. = ( It already looking like it's improving since this picture was taken this afternoon though. Phew.. helmet wearing is a little complicated! I am so grateful that Ari doesn't have any health condition, like seizures or something, that would require him wear one for years, or his whole life. I only have to deal with this for a few more months. = )