ANY ADVICE ON A POSSIBLE Metopic Ridge ON MY 3 MONTH OLD?

[shoneshine]

Hi! My ds has a ridge of bon down the front of his forehead that is not terribly noticeable but very easy to feel. His temples are quite deep but his head looks ordinary unless you look from above then the forehead looks narrow, almost like a bike seat!
He seems content and is fine developmentally, his head is growing along the centile, which is all the HV and Dr care about! BUT I dont feel its right. I dont think anything is seriously wrong but I have a nagging worry that he has a Metopic Ridge or Metopic syntosis, where the front plates of the skull in the forehead fuse too early, more common with boys. How can I get him seen by a peadiatrician or someone who specialises in this more than my Dr or HV? I feel they wnt take any notice if its just cosmetic until its too late and his bones are too hard to correct if needed! Please help a worryed mum. Thanks for reading.

Explain your worries to your GP and ask to be referred to a paediatrician. Or see a different GP in the practice and ask the same.

Hi. My ds2 has metopic syntosis. It was diagnosed by CT scan at 3 mo.

Go to your GP and ask for a referral. His was picked up during an examination at the local children's hospital for something else entirely and we saw a consultant neurosurgeon.

Ds2 has quite odd skull growth as it turns out and does not need corrective surgery but I learnt an awful lot about about it as we went through the diagnostic process, so if you want to chat sometime I'd be happy to.

In the meantime, try not to worry. I nearly died of fright when neurosurgery was first mentioned, but whilst I am happy that none was needed in our case I can honestly saw that the prospect became considerably less alarming the more I found out about it.

Thankyou both of you! I am def going to see another GP this week. From seeing pics online and descriptions Im almost certain that is what the rige of bone down his forehead is. Id definately worry less if I knew they were taking it seriously and ensuring nothing major was wrong. Is it possible he could have the metopic ridge and it wouldnt cause any problems or go away on its own? I dont like the idea of him having an odd shaped head when hes older if it didnt, dont want to take the chance! Do the NHS even provide any correction helmets or anything if it is purely cosmetic?
We totally adore our son as he is but obviously want the best for him. wb could I email you a pic to see what you think? Do you have a pic of you ds2?

i have had 3 boys with craniosynostosis or the metopic suture fused during pegnancy

please contact me at [email protected] il give you my landline there so we can chat if you like
i have had 2 of my sons correctivly put right
the operation is usally performed at no later then 15 mths old
i have loads of pics and hae a very good relationship with our surgeon
have you had a lood at

www.headlines.co.uk look at metopic
dont worry honey it will be ok

look at my profile pic this is samuel aged 8 weeks and he has it

Morning shoneshine

i can answer a few of your questions but it sounds like disneystar is your expert.

It is definitely possible to have metopic craniosyntosis and not need surgery, as in ds2 case. It depends on the severity of the deformation (which in turn seems to depend on when the suture closed). In ds2 case they think it must have fused at around 6-10weeks. He has quite a rounded forehead but does not have the classic 'bicycle seat' shaped head. He may develop a mild ridge but we felt surgery was not needed in his case. Both dh and his brother have sagittal ridges and ds2 was initially (mis)diagnosed with total suture closure so we obviously have some unusual patterns of skull growth on that side of the family. My dh had the nickname 'squidhead' as a child but was never bullied/had no probs associated with it. He does not look like a squid today

If your ds does have metopic fusion (diagnosed with a CT scan) you would then meet with a neurosurgeon and craniofacial surgeon to discuss what (if anything) needs to be done. Helmets are for positional skull deformation, typically when the back of the head flattens due to babies lying on their back and should not be worn when fusion of the sutures is suspected.

Surgery usually happens b/w 8 and 15 mo of age and their are 4 centres of excellence in the England (Oxford, Birmingham, Liverpool and London) that you can ask to be referred to.

Go see your GP. And disneystar is right, it will be OK.

i also have a 3 mth old LO we are of to oxford cranio next month
his fused approx 27 weeks pregnant i was scanned every week

Disneystar, will email u some pix of my ds to see what u reckon. Got an aptment w gp at 4.50 today. Hfly they`ll refer him. I think it prob is to do with genes, my father and Grandad have quite prominent foreheads and my brother has a mysterious bump on his forehead, to the side!

ok shoneshine e-mail me and il have a look glad they are going to have another look to put your mind at rest
hope you are ok look forward to hearing from you

Have emailed you disneystar!wb could u email me some pix of ur ds? GP is sorting an appointment w peadiatrician so hfly Ill be reassured.

o yeh 'shonaputt at yahoo. co. uk'

yes, will sort this later today.