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Sutures - ridged

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Ridged sutures

Home Care:

Home care depends on the condition causing the premature closure of sutures.

Call your health care provider if:

• You notice a ridge along the suture line of your child's head
• You think that your child has an abnormal head shape

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting ridged sutures in detail may include:

• When did you first notice that the skull seemed to have ridges in it?
• What do the fontanelles (soft spots) look like?
• Have the fontanelles closed? At what age did they close?
• What other symptoms are present?
• How has your child's development been progressing?

Your health care provider will begin with an examination of the skull to determine if ridging exists. If it does, x-rays  or other types of scans of the skull may be obtained, to verify premature closure of the sutures.

After seeing your health care provider:

Although your health care provider keeps records from routine examinations, you may find it helpful to maintain your own records of the development. You will want to bring these records to your health care provider's attention if you notice anything unusual.

You may want to add a diagnosis related to ridged sutures to your personal medical record.

• Review Date: 10/27/2005
• Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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