Craniosynostosis

Anyone's preemie had to deal with this? I thought Paige just had the typical preemie "toaster head" but today her pediatrician reccomended that she go for a head ultrasound. Her head is a bit too pointy and the doc is afraid that some of her skull plates have fused. If that is the case then she'll need surgery. I know that I am getting ahead of myself with worry but I can't help it.  

Quoting usagi:“ Anyone's preemie had to deal with this? I thought Paige just had the typical preemie "toaster head" but ... [snip!] ... If that is the case then she'll need surgery. I know that I am getting ahead of myself with worry but I can't help it.  ”

We never had issues, but if you compare my son's head to another baby his age, his head is very narrow and tall. Most babies have big round 'football' shaped heads. My daughter was the same as my son. Good luck though! Hopefully it's nothing! And lol at 'toaster head', I never thought of it that way!

My nephew was born without a soft spot and had to have a head operation and wear a helmet for 6-7 months.I forget what the medical term was.

Well, Paige went for her ultrasound today and the radiologist said that all her sutures were open (ie, none of her skull plates had fused!). He was going to have the pediatric radiologist looks at the ultrasound pictures this afternoon, just to make sure.

Soooooo happy right now! This means no surgery! Hooray! Paige might have to wear a helmet to remold her head (LOL) but she won't have to go under the knife. :::happy dance:::

YAY! What great news! What brought about the concern in the first place?

Quoting Jessica [Slvrmoon]:“ YAY! What great news! What brought about the concern in the first place?”

Because her head was so enlongated, more so than you would like to see (even for a preemie). The pediatrician tried to "feel" between the minor soft spots (sutures) between the skull plates and couldn't do it, sotheultrasound was ordered as a precaution.

Quoting usagi:“ Because her head was so enlongated, more so than you would like to see (even for a preemie). The pediatrician ... [snip!] ... the minor soft spots (sutures) between the skull plates and couldn't do it, sotheultrasound was ordered as a precaution.”

Auh, gotcha. I just asked because her head looks great to me! lol, with all of my experience  

Quoting Jessica [Slvrmoon]:“ Auh, gotcha. I just asked because her head looks great to me! lol, with all of my experience  ”

It all depends on the angle of the photo with Paige.

Here is a shot of the top of her head:



Here is a shot looking straight-on; see how narrow her head is? Of course that might be because of her chubby cheeks LOL!!!


Here is a bigger view of my avatar... at this side-angle her head looks "normal"  

I see most preemies with the really narrow top part of their heads. With both my kids you can see the bones in their heads really well. Well, not Faith anymore, but when she was a baby. It makes the soft spot really pronounced and makes a ridge across the top of their head. You can kind of see it on Ethan in my profile pic of the two of them. I was always afraid of them getting the flat spot. Babies always get a preference for looking one way in the NICU and I was sure the whole right side of Ethan's head would be flat! I'm sure Paige's head will round out soon enough =) Will she have to get it checked again? And those are quite the chubby cheeks  

Quoting Jessica [Slvrmoon]:“ Will she have to get it checked again? And those are quite the chubby cheeks  ”

She won't need another ultrasound, but the pediatrician might recommend her going to a specialist to get a helmet if her head remains so narrow. She sleeps A LOT, which is nice for us but not for her head.   At least she doesn't have a favorite side, so her head is narrow but even because she turns during the night. Most parents are trying to keep their kids out of carriers and bouncy seats but I am constantly giving her time in them to try toreshape the back of her head LOL.

where can i get that memory book for nicu on up the Tiny Patients, Tiny Steps baby book?

Quoting Lil Scruf:“ where can i get that memory book for nicu on up the Tiny Patients, Tiny Steps baby book?”

It was a baby book that was made by a team of nurses at the Abington Memorial Hospital Special Care Nursery (Abington, Pennsylvania). I got it for free at the hospital since that was where Paige was cared for... you could try asking your NICU if they have something similar.

Quoting usagi:“ Well, Paige went for her ultrasound today and the radiologist said that all her sutures were open (ie, ... [snip!] ... Hooray! Paige might have to wear a helmet to remold her head (LOL) but she won't have to go under the knife. :::happy dance:::”

I got too happy too quickly.... the official ultrasound report came back today:

"The anterior fontanelle is patent. The lateral ventricles are visualized and there is no hydrocephalus. An attempt was made to determine if the sagittal suture is patent or not. This cannot be satisfactorily assessed with ultrasound. Conventional x-rays are recommended. Impression: Normal ultrasound examination of the infant head."

So, the radiologist thought her head looked normal, but he couldn't definitively say if her sagittal suture was open or closed. We go for x-rays tomorrow.

Quoting usagi:“ I got too happy too quickly.... the official ultrasound report came back today: "The anterior fontanelle ... [snip!] ... her head looked normal, but he couldn't definitively say if her sagittal suture was open or closed. We go for x-rays tomorrow.”

I'm sorry! I don't understand why they didn't do an x-ray in the first place? It seems obvious to me that if you want to exam the bones, you'd do an x-ray....oh well. I hope everything checks out fine after the x-rays!

Quoting Jessica [Slvrmoon]:“ I'm sorry! I don't understand why they didn't do an x-ray in the first place? It seems obvious to me ... [snip!] ... to me that if you want to exam the bones, you'd do an x-ray....oh well. I hope everything checks out fine after the x-rays!”

I'm not sure why the ultrasound first... probably either 1) lower cost or 2) no radiation as a first option?