'Aid babies with head condition'

A mum has launched a petition to get more NHS help for babies with very flat or misshapen heads.

Victoria Banks, of Aylestone, Leicester, believes treatment for the conditions brachycephaly and plagiocephaly should be more easily available and parents should have better information.

She and her partner Mohsin Safdar face a £2,000 bill to pay for a helmet to correct their seven-month-old son Zaidan's head and are raising money for a charity which helps similar babies.

Victoria, 26, said: "Zaidan's head has been severely flat since he was born.

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"It was a very traumatic delivery and I think the pressure from that caused it.

"When he was about six weeks old, I spoke to my health visitor and GP about it and all they said was to reposition his head so the pressure wasn't in the same place all the time.

"We tried everything and it has made no difference.

"I have been to my doctor but my concerns are just dismissed. I keep being told it is cosmetic but children can be very cruel.

"They pick up on the smallest things and we don't Zaidan being teased as he grows up.

"He has got a lot of hair so it is not always noticeable but people in my swimming group have noticed."

Zaidan is having a helmet fitted to correct the shape of his head in a few weeks' time. He will have to wear it 23 hours a day for about six months.

Victoria said: "We are very lucky because my parents are paying for the helmet.

"I have started an online petition calling for NHS funding for children with brachycephaly and plagiocephaly – which is where the face is flattened on one side.

"If babies begin treatment from about four to eight months it should work within six months," Victoria said.

"If it is left until they are older then they face having to wear a helmet for much longer."

Victoria is raising money for the charity Headstart4Babies, which helps parents who cannot afford to pay for treatment.

She said: "We are planning a race night and I am hoping colleagues at E.on will also help."

Nicy Turnery, a senior nurse at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, said: "If a mother is concerned about any misshape of their baby's head they should contact their GP so it can be assessed and dealt with."

Victoria's e-petition is at:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/ petitions/45888

To donate Headstart4Babies go to: