About SleepCurve
Flat Head (Plagiocephaly) Treatment & Prevention
Introduction
The SleepCurve mattress is the brainchild of Philip Owen D.O., B.Sc. (Hons), a leading UK Paediatric Cranial Osteopath who has spent 25 years studying and treating tension in babies’ skull bones. His pioneering research has significantly advanced our understanding of both babies’ and children’s sleep problems, arising from tension in the bones of the skull.
In his research, Philip observed that an increasing number of babies at his clinic were showing symptoms of a flattening on the head and torticollis. He made the connection between this and the success of the “Back to Sleep” campaign, encouraging parents to place their baby on their back in the cot. He realised that the traditional cot mattresses, combined with the extra amount of time babies were spending with their heads on a flat surface, was combining to increase the incidents of flat head.
“I fully support the ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign but realised that what was needed to prevent flat head syndrome was a totally new kind of cot or crib mattress, which supports the baby’s head, shoulders and neck, to spread the weight of the skull, just as a mother will cradle her baby in her arms. The SleepCurve mattress concept is the result of that simple idea and over time we have improved the shape of our mattresses and other products, to offer additional benefits such as the cooling channels and the slight incline of the mattress, which can help to reduce acid reflux.”
The SleepCurve mattress has been clinically proven at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to help prevent and treat flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly), with the results published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
Alder Hey Clinical Study
Clinical Study ‘Abstract’
“The aim of this study is to document changes in head shape associated with use of a passive orthotic mattress for the management of positional plagiocephaly of a series of 30 patients at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital between April 2008 and June 2010. Cranial vault asymmetry was assessed before treatment and was classified into mild, moderate, or severe plagiocephaly. Follow-up demonstrated a significant improvement in cranial vault asymmetry in those treated with the passive orthotic mattress.”
Conclusion
The mattress demonstrated a significant improvement in head shape over the 6 month period and was deemed ‘an effective, low cost, treatment solution for Flat Head Syndrome’.
29 out of 30 babies showed an improvement after using the SleepCurve mattress.
All SleepCurve Baby Mattresses are only manufactured in the UK, to ensure the highest quality control standards.
Each mattress is made with care at every step of the process, so that parents can be certain that they are investing in a quality product which is clinically proven to help babies enjoy better, healthier sleeping.