A new study, published in BMJ, examines the use of helmet therapy in infants to address or prevent skull deformations.  The researchers found that recovery of skull shape deformation occurred in 26 percent of babies using helmet therapy, and 23 percent of those not using it.  The recovery rates are so close that there is not a statistically significant improvement to support helmet therapy.  In addition, parents also reported side effects from helmet therapy.  Given the small effect of helmet therapy and the risk of additional, unintended consequences, the researchers recommend not using helmet therapy.

According to the New York Times, helmet therapy developed as a response to skull deformations from an infant sleeping on his or her back.  This position is recommended to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  Roughly one baby in five under the age of 6 months develops a flattened skull caused by lying in a supine position.  The study does leave open the possibility that, in cases of severe skull deformation, these helmets may be more useful.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that SIDS refers to the sudden death of an infant less than one year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.  Annually, there are approximately 2,000 deaths as a result of SIDS.

SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants between the ages of one and 12 months, and is the third leading cause overall of infant mortality in the U.S.  Although the overall rate of SIDS in the United States has declined by more than 50 percent since 1990, rates for non-Hispanic black and American Indian/Alaska Native infants remain disproportionately higher than the rest of the population.  The CDC states that reducing the risk of SIDS remains an important public health priority.