REALLY DISCOURAGED RIGHT NOW...MEDICAID

[justjacqueline]

Our doctors aren't great. Seems they can't even diagnose a simple ear infection. I finally had to take DS2 to the ear specialists after three times of our doctor NOT thinking he had an ear infection. Told me to wait it out. It got so bad I couldn't take it anymore. I honestly don't think this particular office knows what they are talking about.

[LittleClaraLove]

I think you should do some.serious research on the specific health plan you have and what's covered. We've been on medicaid for three years in two states and we have been on the top tier plans thar cover 100% of everything. We can see whatever specialists we need and they have always been accepting. I'd encourage you to not.be afraid of traveling for specialists. You don't need to see a pediatrician and you DONT need a referral.

Call specialists' offices and I encourage you to use the policy terminology; don't say "medicaid", say unison if its unison, etc. Go to Richmond, or to DC. And find a Dr who will listen.

[OurAllenBaby]

[QUOTE=justjacqueline;15091452]Answers in red [/QUOOk...I'm no doctor first of all but based on the answers you stated that does not very serious.

The only option that will correct this type of ridge after a certain age is surgery. Massive invasive surgery - so unless the case is SEVERE of the child is still very very young where a helment can be used the doctors will not be able to do anything able it.

My son's soft spot closed at 7months causing a slight ridge that is just barely visible and I was told there was nothing that we should do about it. They only do surgery in the most severe cases. So, unless your child is under a year and the ridge is really bad it is unlikely that they can do anything.

I would still get a second doctor's opinion but don't be surprised if this is what they tell you.

[justjacqueline]

[QUOTE=OurAllenBaby;15096416]

Originally Posted by justjacqueline Answers in red [/QUOOk...I'm no doctor first of all but based on the answers you stated that does not very serious. The only option that will correct this type of ridge after a certain age is surgery. Massive invasive surgery - so unless the case is SEVERE of the child is still very very young where a helment can be used the doctors will not be able to do anything able it. My son's soft spot closed at 7months causing a slight ridge that is just barely visible and I was told there was nothing that we should do about it. They only do surgery in the most severe cases. So, unless your child is under a year and the ridge is really bad it is unlikely that they can do anything. I would still get a second doctor's opinion but don't be surprised if this is what they tell you.

How far does the ridge extend. It's not noticeable to others, but I can see it, but I'm her mom. LOL. Hers goes from the top of where her soft spot was all way down to the bridge of her nose. The lump that was there is not now. She falls a lot :/ So she may have just hit her face there and it was a little bump??? I can't help but to worry about it.

[MelandMack]

My son had a severe case of craniosynostosis which affected both the sagittal and metopic sutures. For us my pediatrician was the first to notice it around 9 months and it wasn't so much a noticeable ridge but instead the shape of my son's head that prompted her questions. Do you notice your dd's head to be mis-shaped or is it just a ridge that you see?

I agree with others above that while a pediatrician is the first step in a diagnosis you will need a cranial surgeon to get a real diagnosis or at least someone to set up a CT scan to see if the suture is really closed now. I think you are warranted to be concerned but if 3 doctors have told you so far there is nothing to be concerned about then I would take their professional opinion and just watch and see. Also this condition normally presents itself before 1 year so if she is now over 1 and there is not severe mis-shaping presented then everything is likely okay.

Here are some pics of my son prior to surgery where you can see the mis-shaping of the head that prompted the doctor's attention. Notice the elongation of the head and the slightly pointy forehead.





And here are some after pics that show the much rounder more normal shape of his head right after surgery.

[Queen_Celeste]

OK this might sound rude, but her head probably looks fine to them. My 2.5 year old had an obvious ridge on his head, when he was around that age. Most of the time any slight bumps or ridges are grown out of. His is way less noticeable. It helps that he has more hair finally, but even feeling his skull the bump is less prominent.

I know one baby that had the skull surgery. She is still wearing the lovely helmet a year later (she is 20 months now). And actually it took several surgeries where the family flew out to Salt Lake City Utah to find specialist with experience. It was intense enough that none of the local surgeons were confident. And hers was severe. Even with the surgeries and helmet her head looks as bad as the before photos of melandmack.

ETA: those bones don't close up completely until around age 3, so if its not totally closed they won't want to do surgery. And for most cases there is no treatment.

[MelandMack]

Originally Posted by Queen_Celeste OK this might sound rude, but her head probably looks fine to them. My 2.5 year old had an obvious ridge on his head, when he was around that age. Most of the time any slight bumps or ridges are grown out of. His is way less noticeable. It helps that he has more hair finally, but even feeling his skull the bump is less prominent. I know one baby that had the skull surgery. She is still wearing the lovely helmet a year later (she is 20 months now). And actually it took several surgeries where the family flew out to Salt Lake City Utah to find specialist with experience. It was intense enough that none of the local surgeons were confident. And hers was severe. Even with the surgeries and helmet her head looks as bad as the before photos of melandmack. ETA: those bones don't close up completely until around age 3, so if its not totally closed they won't want to do surgery. And for most cases there is no treatment.

Poor little girl, hopefully they will get everything worked out for her. I noticed you show Kansas as your location, are your friends anywhere near the KC metro area. My son's surgeon is at Childrens Mercy in KC and is one of the leading carniofacial surgeons around. He developed a new procedure (which he now travels around and teaches to other doctors) that most often only means 1 surgery even for more severe cases than my son. Thankfully my son is now a happy healthy almost 5 year old, though has lots of scars and a lumpy bumpy head but at least his brain now has room to grow!!

And yes I agree if the sutures are not fully closed they will just a take a wait and see approach even at an age younger than 1.

[justjacqueline]

I will post pics tomorrow. Then maybe you can give me opinions. I don't try and make mountains out of molehills or anything. Just concerned about something that no one else in our family has or had...because the one doctor told me it was just something she inherited...She has A LOT of hair so it's hard to tell if her head is pointy or triangular. I have tried. She has mounds of curly full hair and has since the day she was born

[justjacqueline]

I guess the point of my post is...I NEED a new doctor for my kids (all of them) but for whatever reason new medicaid patients are not accepted. I live in a very small town. My kids get ear infections back to back to back to back. So going to Richmond (3 hours away) or Charlottesville (2 hours away) isn't going to be the best option for us. I work M-F and every day I have to take off is basically $100 from my check every week. DH is working now and that's not possible with his job. Sorry, not trying to throw myself a pity party. I would get private insurance if we could afford it. Sometimes dealing with the "system", even though it is a major blessing since we can't afford insurance on our own, is very frustrating...

ETA I do also realize private insurance has it's cons. Price...waiting one year to have anything pre-existing treated...etc...