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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Ridge On Child's Skull, Hard, No Pain. Normal?

Hi There, I have just discovered a ridge on my son s skull (after giving him a haircut) that runs ear to ear (not all the way to his ears....stopping about 3 inches above each ear). He will be 5 years old in 3 weeks and I have never noticed this ridge before, however, this is the shortest I have cut his hair in quite a while. So, I m not sure if the ridge has always been there and we just didn t notice it, or if it has just developed over the last little while. It is hard and there is no pain associated with it. I have read online about craniosynostosis and now am extremely worried. However, he does not have any other abnormalities regarding his facial features or any other part of his skull. He has no developmental delays and has always been a generally happy, healthy little boy. I will be calling our doctor tomorrow for an appointment, but I d love to know if ridges in skulls can be normal? Or, if you find a ridge, is it automatically something to worrry about. Any insight you can give would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your help!
Thu, 12 Sep 2013
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Pediatrician,  's  Response
You may relax. this is nothing to be concerned about. Our skulls are originally made up of a series of bones. There are several places on our heads where these bones meet. These are called sutures. when our heads are finished growing these sutures fuse to make a single rigid bone. when one or more of these fuse early the result is crsniosynostosis, the condition you read about. However, this causes the skulk to be misshapen long before a child reaches 5 years of age. You are likely feeling a normal suture line. presuming that your child is healthy and having no complaint it is fine to wait until his next visit to your pediatrician. At that visit I recommend you ask about the ridge. I am sure your pediatrician will be able to further reassure you. If you find that you just can't wait then you can schedule a visit to see your pediatrician soonerm, but this is not urgent. you could even ask while being seen for something else, like a flu shot since it is flu shot season and I strongly recommend flu shots for all children. I hope thus adequately answers your question and helps to put you at ease.
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Ridge On Child's Skull, Hard, No Pain. Normal?

You may relax. this is nothing to be concerned about. Our skulls are originally made up of a series of bones. There are several places on our heads where these bones meet. These are called sutures. when our heads are finished growing these sutures fuse to make a single rigid bone. when one or more of these fuse early the result is crsniosynostosis, the condition you read about. However, this causes the skulk to be misshapen long before a child reaches 5 years of age. You are likely feeling a normal suture line. presuming that your child is healthy and having no complaint it is fine to wait until his next visit to your pediatrician. At that visit I recommend you ask about the ridge. I am sure your pediatrician will be able to further reassure you. If you find that you just can t wait then you can schedule a visit to see your pediatrician soonerm, but this is not urgent. you could even ask while being seen for something else, like a flu shot since it is flu shot season and I strongly recommend flu shots for all children. I hope thus adequately answers your question and helps to put you at ease.