Baby has life-saving operation to BREAK his skull and piece it back together to relieve pressure on his brain

  • Caleb Torres was born with an elongated and rectangular shaped head
  • His mother dismissed the unusual shape as bruising from being born
  • She took him for tests where doctors diagnosed him with craniosynostosis
  • Surgeons revealed he needed surgery to prevent permanent brain damage

A baby born with a rare condition has had a lifesaving operation to break open his skull and piece it back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Kathleen Torres, 29, from Grafton, Ohio, noticed the unusual shape of her son Caleb's head after he was born - but dismissed it as bruising from the delivery.

The back of his skull was elongated and rectangular, while his forehead was pointed.

She hoped it would even out over time, but decided to take him for tests when he was four months old to be sure it was normal.

Doctors revealed he had craniosynostosis - a condition where the bones in the skull fuse prematurely before the baby's brain has had chance to fully grow.

The mother-of-four was told he needed life-saving surgery to reshape his head or risk permanent brain damage.

Nine-month-old Caleb Torres, from Grafton, Ohio, was born with an unusual shape head which doctors later confirmed was craniosynostosis

Nine-month-old Caleb Torres, from Grafton, Ohio, was born with an unusual shape head which doctors later confirmed was craniosynostosis

His mother, Kathleen, 29, dismissed his elongated and rectangular skull as bruising from the delivery (pictured together after surgery)

His mother, Kathleen, 29, dismissed his elongated and rectangular skull as bruising from the delivery (pictured together after surgery)

Ms Torres said: 'It was concerning at first, his head was shaped differently to a lot of other babies, at first we just thought it bruising from the delivery and it would round itself out on its own.  

'We kept waiting for it to round itself out, but it never did.'

Mrs Torres initially became concerned as to the shape of Caleb's head when another little boy had a similar looking skull.

She spoke to his mother and was left puzzled when she asked if Caleb 'had been diagnosed yet'.

The woman began to explain about craniosynostosis and that Caleb would most likely need surgery to break the skull apart and fix it again - forcing her to feel physically sick with nerves. 

She added: 'I cried all night long because I was so worried, but by the time we went for our appointment I was emotionally ready to hear my son had craniosynostosis.'

The condition caused bones in Caleb's skull to fuse together before his brain had chance to fully grow. Doctors revealed he needed life-saving surgery to reshape his head or risk permanent brain damage (a CT scan showing the shape of Caleb's skull before surgery)

The condition caused bones in Caleb's skull to fuse together before his brain had chance to fully grow. Doctors revealed he needed life-saving surgery to reshape his head or risk permanent brain damage (a CT scan showing the shape of Caleb's skull before surgery)

For his skull to grow correctly, surgeons needed to make a cut along his head, break his skull down, shave away part of the bone and then put it back together again - like a jigsaw puzzle (Caleb pictured during recovery)

For his skull to grow correctly, surgeons needed to make a cut along his head, break his skull down, shave away part of the bone and then put it back together again - like a jigsaw puzzle (Caleb pictured during recovery)

Doctors didn't diagnose him with the rare condition - which affects one in every 2,500 babies - until they performed a CT-scan in March this year.

Over time the condition had affected Caleb's skull and his head shape had worsened, they said.

The bones in his skull had grown together on top of his head prematurely, which wouldn't leave enough room for his brain to continue to grow, doctors warned.

His family were told that if he wasn't operated on, he would suffer brain damage and that there was already pressure starting to build.

For his skull to grow correctly, surgeons needed to make a cut along his head, break his skull down, shave away part of the bone and then put it back together again.

Because he was diagnosed at an older age than most children are, he had to have more invasive surgery rather than an endoscopic surgery and a corrective helmet.

Caleb underwent the surgery three months ago and spent six days in hospital recovering. 

His whole body swelled to twice its size due to the surgery - while his left eye wouldn't open as a result of the swelling.

WHAT IS CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS?

Craniosynostosis is a rare skull problem that causes a baby to be born with, or develop, an abnormally shaped head.

It is rare, affecting an estimated one in every 1,800 to 3,000 children. Three out of every four cases affect boys.

The irregular skull shape in craniosynostosis can cause persistent headaches, learning difficulties, eye problems and other symptoms. 

Craniosynostosis is the result of the premature fusion of different sections of the skull. 

This means the skull is unable to grow in affected areas.

When one area of the skull is prevented from growing, other areas may 'overgrow' to compensate and limit the pressure developing around the brain. 

A lack of growth in some areas and compensatory growth in other areas will result in an altered head shape.

Source: NHS Choices

Now, he has fully recovered and the s-shaped scarring from his surgery has already faded into his hairline.

Mrs Torres added: 'His forehead looks so different now, my dad even joked that we didn't bring home the right baby because he looks so much better.

'Now the back of his head is much rounder compared to before, it was more nubby and a flat protruding shape but now it's normal and how it should have been.

'His scarring has healed up wonderfully too, all that's left is a very round and wavy line, it reminds me of a continuous letter S going from ear to ear.

'He's now a happy and healthy baby.' 

Erica Mossholder, executive director of the Children's Craniofacial Association, said: 'Our skulls are not made up of one single 'bowl' of bone, instead, different bones fit together like a jigsaw puzzle make up the skull.

'The growing brain pushes on the bones of the skull causing the skull bones to expand or grow.

'When one of these sutures is fused too early, it is called craniosynostosis, there will be no growth in this area.

'The diagnosis of craniosynostosis can only be accurately be made by X-rays such as a CT scan, however any child with an unusually shaped head is certainly suspect.'

For more information, visit www.ccakids.org

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