A halo brace holds the head and neck in place so that the bones of the spine (vertebrae) can heal from an injury or surgery. The "halo" is a metal ring attached to the head with small pins. Rods connect the ring to a hard vest lined with soft material.
Follow these care instructions to help your child with everyday activities and to care for the halo brace.
At Home
Activities
Many kids with a halo brace can continue their everyday activities — like walking, going to school, studying, and spending time with friends — as long as they feel up to it and the care team says it's OK. Encourage gentle activities like drawing, puzzles, and board games.
Kids who wear a halo brace must avoid activities that could lead to falling, bumping the halo, pulling on the rods, or getting the vest or vest liner wet. These include:
Bathing
To bathe, your child can:
Wash your child's hair by laying your child's head over the edge of a tub or sink. It is OK to get the halo and bars wet. Your child also can use a dry or powder shampoo that doesn't need water to clean the hair.
If the skin beneath the vest becomes wet, dry it with a hair dryer set on "cool."
Is a halo painful to wear? No, the halo brace should not cause pain.
Some kids get headaches, especially while eating, but this usually goes away after the child gets used to the brace. If your child has pain that does not get better or gets worse, call the medical team. Never try to adjust the halo yourself.
How long will my child wear the halo? To decide how long someone needs to wear the halo brace, the care team considers:
Typically, kids wear a halo brace for a couple of months.