A mother has publicly defended her choice to use specialised helmets for her infant twins for 23 hours each day, following a wave of criticism on social media. Madeline Lawrence, 32, from Orem, Utah, began the treatment after noticing her babies, Nico and Ash, had developed flat areas on their heads at just two weeks old.
The Journey to Helmet Therapy
Despite following paediatric advice "religiously" and attempting various repositioning techniques, the twins' condition, known as flat head syndrome or plagiocephaly, did not improve. Lawrence explained that the flattening likely originated from limited space in the womb, compounded by their premature birth and low birth weight, which necessitated constant hat-wearing to maintain body temperature.
"Once we finally took their hats off, that's when I realised their heads were flatter than typical," she shared. Their paediatrician diagnosed the twins with torticollis, a condition involving tight neck muscles, which made it difficult for them to keep their heads turned away from the flat spots during sleep.
Responding to Online Criticism
Lawrence has documented the process on TikTok, where videos of the twins' daily one-hour break from the helmets have garnered millions of views. While many were supportive, the content also attracted significant concern and judgment from viewers questioning the babies' comfort.
"The response [has been] very mixed," Lawrence admitted. "A lot of people simply didn't understand why some babies need helmets." She told the Daily Mail that her motivation to continue posting is to normalise helmet therapy and show her "very well-cared-for, loved babies." She has received numerous messages from grateful parents who have dealt with the same issue privately.
Positive Outcomes and Raising Awareness
After a gradual acclimatisation process, the twins wore their cranial remoulding helmets for the prescribed 23 hours daily. Lawrence monitored them closely to ensure they were comfortable and not overheating. "The babies adjusted surprisingly well," she said. "They acted like they didn't even notice them."
The treatment has yielded successful results. Their daughter completed her therapy after six weeks, with her cranial asymmetry improving from 14mm to 3mm. Their son is expected to need approximately two more weeks. Lawrence expressed relief at their progress, noting the flattening had begun to affect facial symmetry and ear alignment before the intervention.
She hopes her story educates others, stating that around 50 percent of babies today have some degree of head flattening from safe back-sleeping, with factors like prematurity and torticollis increasing the severity.
