Halo Brace: How to Care for Your Child

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

• Follow the care teams instructions on:

  • cleaning the pins

  • changing the vest liner

• Don't try to adjust or remove the pins, rods, or vest. 

• Make sure floors are clear of anything that might cause a trip or fall. Your child may want to use a cane or walker to get around without your help.

• Help your child try different positions and use pillows for support to find a comfortable sleeping position.

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:

• lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds, including a backpack

• all sports

• running

• swimming

• riding a bike

• jumping

• dancing

• rough play

Bathing

To bathe, your child can: 

• Take a bath with just a little water in the tub, being very careful not to splash the vest.

• Use a damp washcloth to get clean:

  • Have your child sit in a chair.

  • Protect the vest from getting wet by putting a plastic bag or dry towel over the vest and tucking it under the vest.

  • Put a little bit of mild soap on the damp washcloth and clean the parts of the body not covered by the vest.

  • Unbuckle the vest to loosen it. Do not take the vest or liner off. Use the damp washcloth to clean under the areas of the vest and liner that you can easily reach. Dry the skin with a clean dry towel and then buckle the vest again.

  • Don't use a sponge because it can trap water and leak onto the halo brace.

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."

• Your child has pain at the pin sites.

• Your child gets a fever.

• A pin becomes loose.

• The area around the pins is red, swollen, or irritated.

• Your child gets a rash or redness under the vest.

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: 

• how severe the injury was

• which surgery was done

• how long it will take the bones to heal

Typically, kids wear a halo brace for a couple of months.