When is a flat head more than just a bit flat?

About three weeks ago I was due to take bebe J to be weighed at the Health Visitor clinic. On telling my OH what we had planned for the day he casually asked whether I should mention his flat head? At this point I should probably tell you that he had just turned 8 months, and although we were aware of his flat spot, it hadn't been mentioned at any of his routine checks. Bebe J's head has always been at bit oddly shaped (but aren't a lot of babies?). He was also a big boy at 10lb 2oz, but had been born naturally without intervention.

So after having him weighed (still on the 91st percentile!), I turned him around and asked the Health Visitor what she thought. After a massive pause, she said  'oh yes, it is quite pronounced isn't it, have you taken him to the GP?' After telling her I hadn't, she then told me that actually the NHS can't do anything anyway, and had we considered private treatment!? She went on to tell me about a lady who had recently decided to obtain a helmet for her daughter in order to correct her flat head (whose head was apparently in better shape than Bebe J's!). She did kindly ring the lady, who gave her permission to pass on her telephone number so we could talk, but at this point I was in a bit of panic.

As bebe J is my second baby, I felt terrible that I hadn't been more concerned about his head. I just assumed his head would get better as he spent less time on his back. This is still true, to a degree, but some heads will always remain oddly shaped. After doing a bit of research I was also dismayed to see that at 8 months there is very little that you can do to help heads self correct without intervention. If his head had been raised as an issue earlier (between 3-6 months), we could have tried repositioning, a sleepcurve mattress, pillows, etc etc!

That afternoon I rang the doctors, and was offered an appointment the next day (they're always pretty good with babies). I was hoping that a second opinion would clarify whether his head was really as bad as the Health Visitor made out - and also wanted to explore our options. I can honestly say I was expecting the doctor to send us on our way, saying don't be silly, so was quite shocked by her reaction. To quote her, she said 'if it was my child I would helmet him without a shadow of  a doubt - he'll have his head for the rest of his life' - yikes!

She confirmed that the NHS did not offer treatment (at least not in our area) and encouraged us to go to a private clinic ASAP. At 8 months, bebe J is nearing the end of the typical correction window, although it can be pursued after a year of age, just with slower results. It's a growth thing. We made an appointment with the London Orthotic Consultancy (LOC) and was given an appointment at their Cambridge clinic (our nearest one) for two weeks time...