Re: Re: new Positional Plagiocephaly diagnosis

[Guest guest]

Hello,I have to agree with Dom's mom. Medical professionals are very reluctant to order CT scans for children due to the high levels of radiation(much higher than x-rays.) Two times ER physicians have forgone CT scans after my children fell and hit their heads because of the amount of radiation to which the brain is exposed. Based on a physical exam, the physicians opted for the "wait and see" approach, sending me home to observe and wake them at various intervals. They gave me instructions to return to the ER if I observed certain symptoms. My daughter's neurosurgeon could tell immediately by looking at my daughter's head shape that she did not have premature fusion of the bones. This condition manifests a completely different head shape(trapezoid) than the classic parallelogram associated

with plagio. A ped should be able to spot this as being different from plagio. I can't believe that your ped would be so quick to order a CT instead of sending your child to a neurosurgeon. This would have me questioning the ped's judgement.Best of luck,AmyFrom: DomsMom <danabrin@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Wed, November 10, 2010 1:32:51 PMSubject: Re: new Positional Plagiocephaly diagnosis

I'd advise seeing the specialist (neurosurgeon) BEFORE having your

doctor(Pediatrician?) order a CT Scan. The reason being that Ped's

don't diagnose Craniosynostosis. I'd be surprised if he has seen more

than a few cases of it in his career. From what I've read, it seems as

though most experienced neurosurgeons can simply examine the head and

determine if cranio is suspected or not. Many can diagnose it just by

looking at the head. If the Neuro suspects Cranio, THEN he may want to

have a CT scan. But I wouldn't jump to have the CT prior to having the

neuro examine your child. The reason being that CT's are not benign

medical procedures; they come with a whole set of risks themselves.

(exposure to massive amounts of radiation and sedation/general

anesthesia). So don't jump the gun too quickly on this one. It would

be a shame to go through this type of procedure unless it was totally

necessary.

> >

> > Hello,

> > I am new to this forum and was hoping I might be able to get some

helpful information about treatment for Plagiocephaly. Perhaps the

information I am seeking can already be found in this forum, so I

apologize if I'm posting my question prematurely.

> >

> > My son is 9 months old and has a VERY flat head. The doctor told me

today that he wants a CT scan to see if my son's plates have fused

together and if they have, wants to do a surgery of some kind to break

them. He acted like it wasn't a big deal and said the babies he's

worked with on this have recovered successfully, but I am hesitant to

feel too happy about anyone breaking my son's skull unless it is

absolutely necessary for healthy brain development.

> >

> > I've read a little about treatments for this condition and it sounds

like this surgical procedure recommended by my doctor isn't necessarily

encouraged anymore. Is my doctor outdated (although, he's probably only

40 years old himself)? What are the main concerns involved in the

medical procedure to break apart skull plates? What are the outcomes and

risks?

> >

> > If anyone has any medical resources they can direct me to about this

procedure or research that discourages it, I'd be so very appreciative.

I truly just want my son to be ok and don't want to jump into a medical

procedure that might not be good for him. Obviously a second opinion

will be in order after the CT scan, and a referral to a specialist. But

I'd like to go into these appointments relatively informed so I can

advocate for my son to receive appropriate treatments for his condition.

> >

> > Thank you for any time you have to help me out!

> >

> > Ally

> >

>