The head-pad in art and medicine: a forgotten nasal protector

From the beginning of the 16th century the use of the padded cap to prevent injuries of the middle-face and skull in infants during their period of learning to walk is documented in art and medicine. Especially the painters of the Dutch and Flemish schools left beautiful paintings and drawings showing children with head-pads. Till the end of the 18th century the use of the head-pad was widely spread over Europe. In the 19th century the educational concepts of Rousseau and Kant probably induced a rejection and an abolition of this useful protective cap, which has been rediscovered during the past 20 years.