Delays and Possibly Delays

So, it seems that single suture craniosynostosis could potentially cause developmental delays (speech, poor memory learning disabilities, etc.).  That would follow logic.  Put pressure on the brain (or the brain stem because of pressure on the occiput -- the bone in the back of the head) and certain functions could be impacted.

Last week, A was evaluated by early intervention. I wasn't exactly worried about anything in particular, but the evaluation is free (as it is in most states ... so get 'em early and often! or something like that) and something serious, like cranio, can worry anyone.  Turns out she is delayed in speech, and has a few issues with other things, but speech was the big one.  I've read lots of different things by different people at different times and I've concluded that the higher likelihood of developmental delays would definitely merit surgery.  So why have we decided to pursue other means of healing?

Well .... surgery is an excellent option if there were absolutely no other way to help the body help itself.  I have an alternative view of the body, which fits into my worldview.  This does not make me right and others wrong, but it does make me have to make certain choices for my children.  Honestly, I wish I didn't have to make this choice and I could wait until my children could reason all of these things out by themselves, but that is one of the kickers in parenting, no?

Anyhow, I believe that the body can and will heal itself, given the opportunity.  Therefore, craniosynostosis isn't so much something to be attacked as quickly as possible but instead something to take a look at and identify why A's head is growing a certain way.

Our time with Dr. Phillips has been illuminating on that front.  As I wrote earlier, the muscles of the body all interact with one another, the bones interact and when one thing is out of balance, everything can get out of balance.  Right now, her skull is pushing on her brain, causing a speech delay.  I think a more long-term approach would be to get the body to stop growing in a certain way that causes the pinching of the brain.  Through my research, I concluded that teaching the muscles of the body and the bones of the head to grow differently is more effective than forcing them to be a certain way.

I have to admit, I dropped the ball and didn't follow through with finding a great cranio sacral therapist for A from the get go.  It's so sad to look back and to see how my shortcomings have affected both of our children but such great good has come from this learning process.  I used to read things like that from others and wonder -- how crazy are those people?  I guess we're on the crazy train over here.  Cranio has been such a positive in our life and in our marriage and I have to say that I'm glad now that we have chosen the path we did.  Hopefully, there will be no more dark valleys but I think we'll be alright if there are.