London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Baby born with flat head needs £4,500 helmet to save him from skull surgery

A baby might have to undergo reconstructive skull surgery after doctors were ‘too slow’ to treat a deteriorating case of flat head syndrome.

When Henry was diagnosed with plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome, medics said he would grow out of it like many infants. But parents Alexandra Cafferty and Christopher Brown said the 15-month-old’s condition has got ‘worse and worse’ causing his head to grow towards the left and his eye to get smaller.

Alexandra, 27, told Metro.co.uk their only hope of straightening his skull is by wearing a cranial helmet 20 hours a day for six months. However, they are not available on the NHS and come at a high cost of £4,500, including physiotherapy, which the parents are struggling to afford.

If he doesn’t get the helmet his condition will likely worsen, causing problems such as misaligned facial features, jaw and eyes. The mother, from Bury, Greater Manchester, said the soft spot on his head is closing and if they act don’t act soon they will miss their opportunity.

‘If it closes, his head could continue to grow in the same direction to the left, then it’s possible he’ll need surgery which will leave him with a big scar on his skull stretching from ear to ear,’ said Alexandra, who has launched a GoFundMe to pay for the treatment.

‘If we’d have known from the start we would have been able to save up but with this time frame we don’t have that money lying around.

‘It’s put a lot of stress on us. It’s more the upset of if Henry needed surgery we could be signing his life away.

‘There’s never a guarantee with surgery, there are so many risks. We just don’t want that for him.’

The mother said she and partner Christopher, 45, who works in finance, are frustrated their first born is now facing major surgery due to doctors dismissing it as something he would grow out of.

According to the NHS, plagiocephaly affects one in five babies and the condition isn’t usually of concern as it ‘will often improve by itself over time’.

As a young baby’s skull is relatively soft, it can change shape if there is constant pressure on the back of their head. However, the NHS website said there is minimal evidence to suggest the helmets work.

‘At around four weeks I noticed his head was a different size to other babies but they kept sending me home and saying there was nothing wrong,’ said Alexandra.

‘I knew something wasn’t right but the doctors kept saying it’ll be fine – wait until he’s sitting up. He sat up at four months.

‘But as the months went on it got worse and worse. His eye got smaller on one side. It’s like he had pressure on the left side of his face.

‘I have been putting my foot down about this for almost 15 months now. It’s ridiculous. If they had diagnosed him then he wouldn’t need the surgery.’

Alexandra later took him to see an eye specialist where he underwent a series of ‘invasive’ tests but she said they put it down to a muscular problem.

It wasn’t until they saw a paediatrician that he suggested Henry try a cranial helmet as their last hope before surgery but were shocked it wasn’t available on the NHS.

Due to Henry’s age and the size of his head, there is a now chance he will get head sores and cysts as his skull is not as malleable against the pressure of the helmet.

The couple are willing to take the risk to stop him needing major surgery and said the procedure has ‘worked wonders’ for friends’ children.

The £4,500 they are attempting to raise would also cover physiotherapy which would be needed while wearing the helmet as the pressure can stiffen neck muscles.

Alexandra said: ‘Henry is my baby and I want him to live a happy, healthy pain-free life.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×