6 month old w/poss metopic??

[acjerome]

thanks for all the support!! this is the only pic i currently have.... i will try to take some tonight. His ridge seems to be more prominent than shown in the pic

[acjerome]

oh... and he does have some lines/ridges on the sides of his forhead by the temples

[*jules*]

Hi and welcome! Your son is a cutie pie and I do see the ridge in the pic you posted. The ladies have already given you some great info about the difference b/t a metopic ridge and trigonocephaly caused by metopic synostosis, but I wanted to add my welcome :) Hope to see some more pics.

[Mindy]

Hi and welcome to Craniokids! You'll find a ton of support here! I can see the ridge in your pic. The best way to view whether there is trigonocephaly is to take a pic from the top down including the cheekbones. Take a look at Julie's sons pic in her siggy above this post. My son also has a metopic ridge and those lines where his temples are. They are from the bones of the forehead going back to meet the rest of the skull. Some kids are more pronounced than others. If there is no trig, surgery is usually not indicated.

[acjerome]

here is the best pic i could get of the top of his head while he was splashing in the bath!

[Mindy]

That looks ok, but try to get one that shows his cheekbones so we can actually see his forehead in relation to his eyebrows.

[Payton's Mommy]

I noticed a vertical ridge on my 6 month old daugther's forehead about a month ago, so I menioned it to her ped. at her 6 month check up. She had a CT scan done on Monday, and they found that her metopic suture is indeed closed. We are being referred to a specialist in Iowa City. I have so many questions. Is there anyone out there who can answer them? What age is the metopic suture SUPPOSED to close? Is surgery the only option? What age does the "soft spot" go away? Any info would be very much appreciated!

[dannlark]

He's got a GREAT head shape!!! Sometimes the ridge is just a ridge. It's the first suture to close in very early childhood. And some kids fuse the ridge nice and smooth, some have the raised "speed bump" as we lovingly refer to it here. Sometimes it's so raised and so wide that the forehead takes on what looks like a trig appearance, but really it's just an illusion. What is most telling in trig is the brow pinching. Think of your hand pinching in the brow with thumb and pointer finger. It's the pinching that starts to turn the forehead into a more pointed shape (or in some cases a more heel shape. small and rounded). It makes the forehead appear WAY to small for the rest of the head. My son had a very small anterior fontanel at birth, and it closed shortly after he was 6 months old, EARLY, for that area to close. It's an indicator that something isn't right. Not an official diagnosis of cranio, but something that is an indicator. The metopic ridge has been shown to close VERY early is some babies and it NOT be cranio. Press for answers that sit right with you, but from what I can tell (a non Dr. opinion) he's looking pretty good. Keep us posted...

[angeleka]

I agree with Larkin. You baby's head looks good from that pic.
If the suture closes anytime after birth it is very likely just a ridge. The metopic suture can close early on after birth and this, for whatever reason, can be considered completely normal. Sometimes you will get a ridge until the bones smooth out with time.
The triangular shape and temple pinching are what usually indicate it is more than just a ridge. I feel it is always good to see a specialist if you have been told the suture is closed, but just because it is closed does not mean it is cranio.
If there is trig. the only way to correct it is with surgery. A helmet will not help because it can not open a closed suture. Do not assume that surgery is needed if you have been told the suture is closed at 6 months. A lot of things can happen in those 6 months and all could be fine.

[jennahlynne]

what a great noggin!! i think that the head shape looks great..although seeing the cheaks int he picture will help alot!