MATTRESS INCORPORATING A HEADREST FOR PREVENTING AND CORRECTING NON-SYNOSTOTIC CRANIAL DEFORMITIES IN INFANTS.

摘要

A device for correcting the shape of an infant's abnormally-shaped cranium by applying external forces over time with the growth of an infant to achieve normal shaping of the infant's head. The device applies inwardly-directed external forces only to areas of bony prominence and minimizes (or altogether eliminates) these forces on the areas of the skull that are less prominent (or flattened). Because the present invention is non-conforming to the shape of an abnormal skull, the exerted forces cause accelerated expansion of the skull in less prominent (flattened) areas coincident with brain and skull growth. This causes the cranium to return to a normal symmetric cranial shape. The material that contacts the infant's cranium is semi-rigid, relatively non-flexible, and maintains its overall shape under stress.; For an infant with an already normally-shaped cranium, the device causes the infant's cranium to grow evenly and maintain its normal shape, and thus prevents abnormal cranial sha ping.