Can people quickly tell me if I am being odd or if this is reasonable to ask a Dr appt?!

[Makinganewthinghappen]

My daughter is 11 and has recently been diagnosed with autism. We have an appointment to see the paediatrician for health checks tomorrow.

Anyway a few months ago she started gymnastics and she has been practising and asking for us to help her. Anyway long story short we have realised that she has a gap in her spine (that you can feel) you feel one lump then there’s a gap of about 5cm then another.

I mean there is nothing wrong with her back but it just seems odd!

I was going to ask the doctor about it at the appointment but I feel a bit crazy just randomly saying she has a hole in her back?

Just ask ! You are concerned , she will put your mind at rest

You might find you need to book a specific appt or a double one. They don't seem to like looking at other things in my experience. Not odd at all, best to check it out.

Thanks !
I’m not 100% sure what the appointment is for tbh! The doctor who called said it was to check for any other neurological problems but I really don’t know what sort of other problems. I will mention it and if she says she can’t look then I’ll just ask my gp

Definitely mention it to the paediatrician!

Autistic Spectrum Conditions often come with Co-morbidities ( other conditions the frequently occur with ASC's). From Dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia in the learning difficulty area to OCD, ADHD, Anxiety, Sensory Processing Disorders et al.
Just like Autism is a spectrum condition, the associated difficulties occur fairly randomly - just because a person has autism it doesn't mean they will necessarily have any of these conditions but they do crop up so it's best to assess a newly diagnosed person for them.
I know many parents fear labelling their child might disadvantage them but I have always thought of it as not a label but a care instruction. All the best.

Mention it. They are a paediatrician. They understand parental concerns. They can tell you whether it is of any interest at all.

Spines are part of the CNS. You might have just picked up a reasonably common, but not usually concerning, condition called a closed neural tube defect. It’s not related to autism and is generally symptomless.

It’s where the spinal column doesn’t close fully in the embryonic stage. There are more serious but now rare forms, but these are picked up in uterus or at birth and include spina Bifida and anencephaly. She doesn’t have these types, obviously but might well have the lesser occulta type that is more usually picked up as a random finding on X-ray in middle age or similar.

The opportunity to mention things like this is exactly why you're going to the paediatrician. It's not like a GP appointment, they'll want you to talk about her full health history, they may actually check her over and pick up on it themselves but if they don't just ask them. Worse they'll say is her spine is fine.

Just to update I did mention it. The doctor confirmed there is a gap and now we have X-rays booked

Well done OP, better than just worrying .