Re: Would you seek treatment?

[Guest guest]

I will say I do see it. I don't know what to tell you about your decision though as ours wasn't that particular shape. Get the free advice and take it to your ped. If it was ME I would but that ledge seems like it might have another name to it. From: bmarknouse <bmarknouse@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Mon, February 28,

2011 6:35:29 PMSubject: Would you seek treatment?

I keep vacillating between the thought that something is wrong with and everything is fine with my 8 month old son's head shape. I've made an appointment for next Thursday with Hanger for their free evaluation. But in the meantime, while I'm driving myself crazy, thought I would try to get some opinions from other parents who have dealt with the issue. My main concern is with how far and sharply it juts out in the back.Here is a link to a picture of my little guy.Thanks for any opinions/suggestions you may have!

[Guest guest]

Hm, that's different. I think you really need an expert medical

doctor (neurosurgeon) to rule out craniosynostosis. What did the

primary doctor say? I suppose someone could get that shape without a

fused suture, but I'm thinking that ledge is typical of

scaphycephaly, and scaphycephaly is the most common form of cranio

(according to my five minute web search)... so I'm guessing you're in

the wrong group. But don't waste time polling the peanut

gallery: I wouldn't even rely on a pediatrician's opinion, given my

horrible experience. I think that surgery is something they want

done before age 1. I'd demand the referral.

DON'T PANIC, I'M NOT A DOCTOR. But the fact that the overhead angle

looks kind of normal, with respect to the cranial index, only worries

me that the frontal sutures are also fused. (I'm sure there's

another word for that.) But the way the eyes are situated, too,

looks like scaphycephaly.

Please do let us know how it goes. Good luck!

--

Thad Launderville

town, VT

Clara almost 3, had a STARband for plagio

On Feb 28, 2011, at 9:35 PM, bmarknouse wrote:

> https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/

> wc_xx5eNSGUL-9wqdZMzhRFvoWwfVDS5JKS_hQcK6W0?feat=directlink

[Guest guest]

Just as an update...I sent a msg on FB to a neurologist from my hometown with

the picture I posted here attached. She sent it on to a neurosurgeon she works

with for her opinion. This is taking a turn I wasn't prepared for. :-/ Can I go

back to feeling like a crazy, obsessive mom who makes things up?!

> > https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/

> > wc_xx5eNSGUL-9wqdZMzhRFvoWwfVDS5JKS_hQcK6W0?feat=directlink

>

[Guest guest]

Oh, I don't know. I kinda thought, in relation to Clara's case, it

would come as a huge relief to have a clear-cut, non-aesthetic,

surgical problem that insurance will pay for without question and a

highly trained physician will gladly address... just kinda sucks for

the actual patient!

If cranio is ruled out, I think you're going to be looking at " mild

deformational scaphocephaly. " Like Connie, I don't really see an

aesthetic problem. (Interesting that in the following example, the

subject is African-American, given her comments.) But I still

wouldn't say you were making anything up.

http://www.cranialtech.com/index.php?

option=com_content & view=article & id=302:scaphocephaly-

examples & catid=73:scaphocephaly & Itemid=134

Then there's the fear of cognitive deficit and other complications.

Looks like the same scientific landscape as with other kinds of

plagio: the closer they look, the more they find. Medicine is more

than science. So it still comes back to your parental gut-check, IMO.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/4/791

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.1981.tb02440.x/

abstract

To the original question, then, I'd probably do it if I had a ton of

money, having had a helmet and knowing how harmless it is (and

occasionally useful as protective gear), versus the fear of the

unknown. Otherwise, two grand buys a lot of diapers! I'm sorry I'm

not able to give a more definite opinion.

--

Thad

On Mar 1, 2011, at 10:28 PM, bmarknouse wrote:

> Can I go back to feeling like a crazy, obsessive mom who makes

> things up?!

[Guest guest]

Our 6 month old son has almost the exact same head shape, with some minor

flattening on both sides as well... we're torn also. We had a consult with

Cranial Tech and they did recommend a helmet, but our pediatrician really thinks

it'll go away on it's own (or at least minimize the shelf look -- aka

scaphocephaly --)... We've gotten an RX from the neurosurgeon to pursue the

helmet if we want, but we really are not sure.

I hope you find some answers you're looking for though

>

> I will say I do see it. I don't know what to tell you about your decision

though

> as ours wasn't that particular shape. Get the free advice and take it to your

> ped. If it was ME I would but that ledge seems like it might have another name

> to it.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: bmarknouse <bmarknouse@...>

> Plagiocephaly

> Sent: Mon, February 28, 2011 6:35:29 PM

> Subject: Would you seek treatment?

>

>

> I keep vacillating between the thought that something is wrong with and

> everything is fine with my 8 month old son's head shape. I've made an

> appointment for next Thursday with Hanger for their free evaluation. But in

the

> meantime, while I'm driving myself crazy, thought I would try to get some

> opinions from other parents who have dealt with the issue. My main concern is

> with how far and sharply it juts out in the back.

>

> Here is a link to a picture of my little guy.

>

> Thanks for any opinions/suggestions you may have!

>

[Guest guest]

Ask your pediatrician for studies that show head shape corrects itself after a baby is six-months of age. You should do your research and be fully informed before making your decision. Good luck!-AmyFrom: Josh <bethoyler@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Mon, March 7, 2011 11:20:44 PMSubject: Re: Would you seek treatment?

Our 6 month old son has almost the exact same head shape, with some minor flattening on both sides as well... we're torn also. We had a consult with Cranial Tech and they did recommend a helmet, but our pediatrician really thinks it'll go away on it's own (or at least minimize the shelf look -- aka scaphocephaly --)... We've gotten an RX from the neurosurgeon to pursue the helmet if we want, but we really are not sure.

I hope you find some answers you're looking for though

>

> I will say I do see it. I don't know what to tell you about your decision though

> as ours wasn't that particular shape. Get the free advice and take it to your

> ped. If it was ME I would but that ledge seems like it might have another name

> to it.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: bmarknouse <bmarknouse@...>

> Plagiocephaly

> Sent: Mon, February 28, 2011 6:35:29 PM

> Subject: Would you seek treatment?

>

>

> I keep vacillating between the thought that something is wrong with and

> everything is fine with my 8 month old son's head shape. I've made an

> appointment for next Thursday with Hanger for their free evaluation. But in the

> meantime, while I'm driving myself crazy, thought I would try to get some

> opinions from other parents who have dealt with the issue. My main concern is

> with how far and sharply it juts out in the back.

>

> Here is a link to a picture of my little guy.

>

> Thanks for any opinions/suggestions you may have!

>