Tortle's Mission to Prevent Plagiocephaly and Torticollis: Review + Giveaway

Photo courtesy of Tortle

Did you catch my first Maven Spotlight with Dr. Jane Scott? If you did then you've at least heard of Tortle. If not, you should head over to read it NOW. It’s cool, I’ll wait… ;)

Jokes aside, the Tortle is more than a unique hat. Dr. Jane Scott, board certified pediatrician and neonatologist, created Tortle to help prevent and treat early stages of plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) and torticollis (unbalanced neck muscles). This lightweight beanie is an FDA approved patented Class 1 medical tool that promotes proper head and neck movement essential for development.

At first, it does look funny. The support roll at the back of the beanie helps reposition baby’s head without limiting movement. For some reason, it reminds me of a dolphin. In any case, when you consider the chance of your babies developing these conditions investing in the Tortle is a no brainer.

I could easily give you statistics, but I would much rather stroll down memory lane with you. Two years ago, I became a first-time mother. I worried about many things. I did not know I had to worry about flat spots or neck muscles. Problem is, I would soon find out.

Flat spot created by resting in car seats for too long.

One day, I noticed my first-born had a bit of a bald spot. When I discovered his newfound baldness also marked a slight flatness, I worried. Justifiably alarmed, I asked our pediatrician, “What gives? Why is there a bald, flat spot on my baby’s head?”

Apparently, the flat spot had developed from Monkey Bear lying in the same position for far too long. Wait, what? Liam never spent too much time in a bouncer, swing or stroller. Nor unattended. But what about the crib and the car seat? When we went on adventures, I kept Liam in his car seat. No one told me that car seats are ideally intended only for the car while a baby carrier should be used for wearing the baby.

Soon after, I made some changes. At 4 months, I started wearing Liam in a soft-structured carrier. I also increased his tummy time. With the two combined, we avoided extreme damage. We were lucky. Other children require a helmet to treat positional plagiocephaly while special physical therapy becomes necessary to correct torticollis.

Babywearing is beneficial, but even the best of babywearers can still encounter this problem. Your baby will undoubtedly spend time in a car seat. Your baby will also sleep on their backs. "Every baby is at risk of developing flat head syndrome," said Dr. Jane Scott. "And yet, it’s completely preventable."

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends regular head repositioning for babies younger than six months. But have you ever tried to reposition a baby’s head? I have, and baby always wins. I've never experience such tenacity.

With baby no. 2 on the way, I needed the Tortle in my life. Thanks to Tortle, Little Seahorse’s head is beautifully round. Remember that support roll I mentioned?  When you slide the beanie on your baby’s head, you position the soft roll behind the ear. I recommend repositioning every 2-3 hours so that your baby does not begin to favor one side.

There's a learning curve when putting on the Tortle. I’ll let you in on my secret. I start from the back of Asher's head with the support roll already positioned behind his ear, then I just simply pull the cap forward. After it’s on, I make minor adjustments. First, I ensure a snug fit with no excess fabric bunching at the crown of his head. Second, I make sure the Tortle covers Asher’s ears. If the cap comes too far over his eyes, I just fold the front over. Easy, right?

Need a visual tutorial? Watch the video below.

Asher loves wearing his Tortle. I personally love the elephant design patterned on ours. I love the atypical, and it adds just the right amount of whimsy to his every day look. The blue, green, brown and white color palette complements almost every outfit, which is perfect since this is the only beanie Little Seahorse dons.

Whenever I’m not wearing him or if he’s resting on his back, Asher wears his Tortle. The only exception is when I’m not supervising him directly or at night when he sleeps. I do not recommend using the Tortle unsupervised or for overnight use.

Little Seahorse and his Tortle

Overall, I believe in the Tortle and the company’s mission “to end flat head syndrome across the world.” It’s all about awareness and prevention. If I can protect Asher’s beautifully round head, why wouldn't I? The alternative includes physical therapy and custom helmets with a $5000 price tag.

For the first 6 months of life, all newborns should wear a Tortle to encourage healthy development. The Tortle is available in three different sizes up to 20 lbs in order to accommodate baby's rapid growth. It also comes in 3 solid colors and 2 cute prints, and has a recommended retail value of $19.99.

Tortle is a must-have accessory for a new baby!! And guess what? My Little Love Note has teamed up with Tortle to present YOU with a chance to WIN a Tortle of your very own. Enter below to spread awareness and prevent this from happening to your little ones.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to BUY it? The Tortle is available in Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us and Target.

A little reminder: Please make sure you actually DO the entries. MLLN double-checks. If you don’t do the actual entry, it does NOT count. You won’t WIN, and we’ll both be sad.

Happy Entering!!