Condition Causes Baby's Head To Be Malformed
Baby Wears Helmet For Months
POSTED: Wednesday, November 3, 2004
UPDATED: 2:55 pm CST November 3,
2004
HOUSTON -- Every new parent learns to be extra gentle with their baby's head since a baby's skull is not fully formed when born, leaving soft spots. But some infants have a condition that causes the baby's head to grow incorrectly, making it malformed and have pressure on the brain.Houston doctors are correcting the problem using a minimally invasive approach, Local 2 reported Wednesday.It worked for 3-month-old Jeremy Sager.His mom noticed a problem when he was only days old."When he was born, he did have a little ridge on his head," Angelica Sager said.Jeremy's pediatricians referred his family to University of Texas specialists."It was kind of tough on all of us because he is just a little baby," Sager said.The condition affected Jeremy's head growth."In this baby's case, the suture line that runs from the soft spot in the front to the soft spot in the back actually closed too soon," said Dr. Jim Baumgartner, with the University of Texas Health Science Center. "Removing the abnormally prematurely closed suture and the bone next to it (eliminates the problem)."He went just under the scalp to remove the bone and left small incisions."Without the stitches, you wouldn't even know we did anything to him," Baumgartner said.The procedure has to be done before the baby is 4 months old."You can do a much smaller incision because the baby's head is smaller and you have to do less work," the doctor said.Before this option, babies were given a big incision across the top of their heads -- a procedure that meant a lot of swelling after surgery.Jeremy is now being fitted for a helmet."All of the children after the minimally invasive approach are all required to wear some type of molding helmet," Baumgartner said. "(Jeremy) did so well after surgery. This really is remarkable."Jeremy will need to wear the helmet 23 hours a day for the next two months to help ensure his head grows correctly.His head growth should be normal soon. Just like in all babies, the bone that is now missing will grow back.
Copyright 2004 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2004 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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