What to Know
Plenty of moms out there are familiar with the practice of helmet wearing for babies; the devices are made to custom fit each child and help shape their head if they’re experiencing conditions like Torticollis or flat head syndrome. But seeing the helmets can be a bit jarring if you’re not a parent, and unfortunately, that led to a lot of criticism for one mom whose twin babies are currently undergoing the treatment.
After going viral on TikTok for sharing that her twins wear their helmets 23 out of 24 hours a day, mom Madeline Lawrence is speaking out against the backlash she’s been receiving.
The TikTok video showed the twins during their helmet break.
@mads_lawrence Spend our 1 hour helmet break with us after 23 hours of wear!#boygirltwins #helmetbaby #flathead #momsoftiktok #3under3 ♬ original sound – MaddieLawrence
After noting that her daughter, Nico, has already graduated from her helmet, the footage here shows her son, Asher, getting his one-hour helmet break of the day, and both babies look adorably happy to be hanging out with their dad.
During the break, Dad takes the opportunity to clean the helmet before feeding the babies their bottles and reading a book to all three of his children. Asher’s helmet is put back on before the babies settle in for their nap, and even after his headgear is back on, he still looks just as happy.
The footage of their routine got a bit of criticism from viewers who didn’t quite understand why this was necessary.
“They sleep with the helmet on?” one commenter questioned, as another added, “You are stopping their brains to get bigger and smarter.”
Now, their mom is responding to the criticism.
In an interview with People, Madeline explained that the helmets were necessary to treat their flat heads — a condition called plagiocephaly.
“Because they were so small at birth and struggled to regulate their body temperature, I kept hats on them constantly,” she said. “I didn’t notice the flattening until they were about two weeks old, and doctors told us it likely began in the womb simply because they didn’t have much space.”
When common fixes like tummy time weren’t helping the flat spots to disappear, that’s when she decided to try the helmets.
“Helmet therapy is totally optional, and the research is mixed, especially for mild cases,” she said. “But for us, the flatness was starting to affect the babies’ facial symmetry and even their ear alignment, so we decided it was the right choice.”
Nico and Asher’s conditions are both already improving.
The good news? Not only has Nico graduated from helmet, but Asher isn’t too far behind, and they expect him to be finished in “just a few more weeks.”
After finding out how many people weren’t aware of this condition and what baby helmets are all about, she’s hoping that her videos can help “reduce stigma” around this type of treatment.
“It became clear that a lot of people simply don’t understand why babies sometimes need helmets,” she said. “I kept sharing our journey because I wanted to help educate people, and over time the response has become incredibly positive. People can see these babies are deeply loved and well cared for – sometimes babies just need helmets, and that’s okay.”
