More on Zoey

Melisa and I took Zoey to the neurologist yesterday for a formal evaluation. We received word from our pediatrician late last week that Zoey was in no immediate danger nor had any serious issues, so we were planning on a quick meeting and exam. Things didn’t quite work out like we planned, but they weren’t necessarily bad either. The basic idea we took from yesterday is we’re not out of the woods yet, so Zoey will require more evaluation and monitoring.

The doctor is concerned about three things:

1) Benign excess craniocerebral fluid. Basically there is an elevated (but still within normal levels) amount of fluid between her brain and skull. She said this is fairly common and should correct itself by the time Zoey is 2 years old.

2) Craniosynostosis. Occurs in one in 2,000 live births. This is when the skull bones fuse together too quickly and can cause problems with skull and brain growth. Zoey’s CT scan did not show evidence of this, but due to her physical characteristics (larger head, forehead shape, and ridge at suture line on left side of head), the doctor would like to monitor Zoey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniosynostosis

3) Hydrocephalus. (aka “water on the brain”) Occurs in one in 500 live births. Once again, physical characteristics (larger head, sometimes tense fontanel, ridge on left suture, prominent scalp veins) lead us to caution, but symptoms such as weak appetite, seizures, and sleepiness are not present at all. The neurologist wants to monitor this as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocephalus

So, with that said, we’re heading back to Children’s in one month for another CT scan and evaluation. This time we’ll get to meet with the neurologist right after the CT scan, so no waiting a week to hear the results.

My gut says Zoey is OK – she’s hitting milestones and seems pretty normal otherwise, but I am also glad we’re following through to make sure she is OK and continues to develop normally. It seems like diagnosing and taking care of these problems before the end of the first year is important, so if she does need help we’re definitely doing the right thing at the right time.

We appreciate all the support and well wishes we’ve received over the last couple weeks! We’ll keep everyone posted as we receive updates.