4 Month Checkup and Then Some

We took Brennan in for his 4 month checkup on Monday.  He's growing pretty well:

height: 25 1/4"--70th percentile (Jaden's size at about 3 months)
weight: 13 lbs 1 1/2 oz--20th percentile (Jaden's size at about 2 months)
head: 42 1/2 cm--60th percentile (Jaden's size at about 6 months)

Suffice it to say, Brennan is a smaller baby than Jaden, except for his head and that's where the problem is.  With the way Brennan's head is growing--long from front to back and narrow from side to side--the doctor was concerned that Brennan could have craniosynostosis.  That is where two or more of the sutures, or spaces between the plates in the skull, are prematurely fused.  Having those open gives the brain room to grow.  So the doctor sent us to get skull X-rays for Brennan.

On Tuesday, the doctor called back and said that one of the sutures was closed, so they set us up with an appointment at Primary Children's  Hospital in Salt Lake City with one of the craniofacial plastic surgeons at 8:15 the next day, which I promptly got changed to around 11.  So on Wednesday, Brennan and I spent the day in Salt Lake.  The plastic surgeon was pretty sure that Brennan had sagittal synostosis, which is the closure of the vertical suture closer to the back/middle of the head.  Basically, it's keeping his head from growing out on the sides, so it just grows more in the front and back.

I had been hoping that whatever was wrong could just be fixed with a helmet, but Brennan's only option is surgery.  In which case, Brennan will end up with this big zig zag or wavy line cut across the top of his skull.  It breaks my heart to think about doing something so traumatic to a little baby.  I tried to hold myself together through the CT scan that the surgeon ordered to be sure that the suture was closed.  Brennan was such an angel.  That sweet little boy was bundled in his blanket and he stayed perfectly still for the CT scan.  He just stared at me as I tried to sing to him without crying.  I managed to hold myself together until I got to the parking lot.  I broke down and cried periodically throughout the rest of the day.

The surgeon had given me a booklet regarding the surgery that Brennan will need.  For Brennan's type of craniosynostosis they typically remove the front, back and sides of the skull and reshape them, then they put them back in with absorbable screws or sutures.  I'm not terribly fond of this idea.  I don't feel that Brennan's skull has grown to a point of disfiguring him.  His facial profile seems pretty normal.  His head is just long in back and low on top.  Deformity-wise, I think this type of craniosynostosis is better than the others, though if it's not treated it could potentially put pressure on the brain eventually.

I heard back from the surgeon last night, and it is sagittal synostosis and he will need surgery.  However, I found out that it is an option to go in and remove the suture, as opposed to most of his skull, and he would then also need to wear a helmet for awhile.  This option seems less traumatic to me, and I didn't necessarily like the idea of a surgeon deciding the shape of my son's head.  So, as soon as the plastic surgeon and a neurosurgeon can coordinate a time, Brennan will have surgery.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for our little one.  Your prayers have been a comfort to me.