Brachycephaly-a-what!?

Mauer had his 6-month check up on Wednesday. I assumed it was going to be a typical appointment- height, weight, immunizations and a little Q & A. Before I left the office, the pediatrician said she was concerned about his head. She thought that maybe his fontanels (where the skull bones fuse together) had “closed” early. I guess they are supposed to stay “open” until children are about 18 months old. She requested that Mauer have a skull x-ray. She “Didn’t want to alarm me.” Ah, too late. My head was racing! Are you kidding me! He is my perfect baby! What is she talking about? She told me that it’s USUALLY a cosmetic thing, but she wanted to be sure. Then she mentioned that sometimes the treatment is surgically opening the fontanels! What!? You do surgery on babies’ skulls!? For cosmetic reasons!?

So, Mauer and I stopped in radiology before we left the clinic. Of course, Mauer was not relaxed. I don’t blame him. He was surrounded by a bunch of women wearing lead dresses while he lay on a stainless steel bed and had a bright light shining in his face. They took pictures from three different angles. Because I have been in denial, I waited to call the clinic until late Friday afternoon. Dr. Sundell was not working, but the woman on the phone was able to tell me that the photos from the x-rays were inconclusive (because he moved- DUH) and they are recommending a CT scan. I guess we will know more on Monday, when Dr. Sundell returns.

I did some reading on the internet and found that Brachycephaly is more common now that it is recommended that babies sleep on their backs. I also found that typical treatment is a helmet (extreme cases are surgical). Todd and I have both worked with “helmet head children.” We tried to be so proactive! We didn’t buy the travel system type car seat/stroller/Cadillac thing; we take him out of the car seat anytime he is not in the car. When he is with us and awake, he is rarely on his back. I guess we just aren’t able to control some things.

Front View

Normal Head Shape: Cheeks are the same size, Eyes are the same size and at the same level on the face


Brachycephaly Head Shape: Face appears small to the size of the head, Head is wide, Bump above the ears creates the widest part of the head, Ears poke out at top


Mauer's Head Shape


Side View


Normal Head Shape: Back of the head is curved, Both sides of the head match, Top of head is level


BrachycephalyHead Shape:Head is shorter length front to back, Head height (head is tall), Forehead slopes back, Back of head is flat


Mauer's Head Shape


And for Grandpa Dave, here is his growth chart.