Is a Helmet Really
Necessary?
EPISODE 18:
A Break Down on Flat Spots, Torticollis & Treatment Options with Becki Westover
In This Episode:
In this episode of More than Milestones, I sit down with Becki Westover, a certified orthotist with Bloom Kids who has over 20 years of experience working with infants and families. Becki explains what a certified orthotist does and why helmet therapy can feel confusing or controversial for parents.
We talk through common concerns about infant helmets, including weight, size, comfort, and whether helmets interfere with development. Becki clears up misconceptions by explaining how helmets are designed, what they’re made of, and how they support natural head growth rather than forcing change.
The conversation also covers the most common types of head flattening, why cases seem to be on the rise, the impact of the Back to Sleep campaign on tummy time, and the connection between torticollis, IVF pregnancies, and head shape differences. Becki shares when helmet therapy is most effective, why some families are referred to neurosurgery first, and how parents can approach these referrals with more confidence and less fear.
Becki Westover
MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODES’S GUEST
Becki is a Certified Orthotist with a specialization in infant head shape management and treatment using cranial helmets. She is also a parent of a child with a history of plagiocephaly.
Becki is deeply passionate about helping parents understand infant head shape deformities and supporting them through informed, compassionate care. She believes parents deserve to be listened to and supported with empathy—an approach that serves as the cornerstone of her work at Bloom Kids. This philosophy guides every step of her process, from understanding parent concerns during an initial assessment to encouraging a no-helmet approach when appropriate, providing education that optimizes treatment, offering referrals to other healthcare professionals, or delivering repositioning education.
She also prides herself on prescribing and designing custom cranial remolding helmets that optimize treatment time while meeting the unique needs of each baby she treats.
Becki has been helping families of infants with head shape concerns for 17 years and often observes a gap between what parents value most and what many existing support systems provide. Her goal is to close this gap, knowing that doing so leads to improved patient outcomes.
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