Matthew Boler was like any other baby, being described as happy and bubbly with “bright eyes” and adorable, “chubby cheeks.” However, there was something distinctly different about him. Little Matthew was born with a narrow, oblong-shaped head. Although his parents admitted they noticed the unusual shape, they initially thought nothing of it. During an exclusive interview with ABC News , they shared details about their initial thoughts.
“We definitely thought it looked a little unusual. We thought maybe he has an unusual, shaped head,” said Matthew’s mother, Megan Boler. “We didn’t think about any of the ramifications.” However, they soon learned their son’s head shape was an indication of a rare, dangerous condition. The shocking discovery was made during Matthew’s 2-month check-up.
His pediatrician stated that she could not find a “soft spot” on his head. She explained that Matthew might have a condition known as craniosynostosis and she immediately referred them to neurosurgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital, reports Empire State Tribune .
After further evaluation, Matthew was diagnosed with a form of craniosynostosis called sagittal synostosis, meaning his skull was growing improperly. Apparently, his skull fused on the back of his head prematurely, which leaves no room for his brain to grow properly. The rapid fusion was causing his brain to grow improperly, which explains the shape of his head.
“His brain was growing underneath but the skull doesn’t allow for it because of the way it’s fused,” Dr. Sandi Lam, Director of Craniofacial Surgery Program at Texas Children’s Hospital, told ABC News. “There’s no medicine that will unfuse the bone, the treatment is surgery and basically we have to cut out the bad bone. The skull is very, very thin, we’re able to use different types of instruments and use endoscope to see everything,” said Dr. Lam. “Because of all of this growth that is happening the brain really helps make the baby’s new head shape. It rounds everything out from inside out and helps guide how everything heals up.”
At 10-weeks-old, Matthew had surgery to correct the condition. Within 72 hours after the surgery, Matthew was back to normal. “In a 10-hour period the swelling went down and ever since then he hasn’t looked back,” Boler said.
Although most children have to wear a helmet for up to one full year to help the skull form properly, Matthew only had to wear one for four months. His mother admitted that his months of helmet therapy were trying times but he’s making great progress , reports Fox News .
“The months of helmet therapy were hard on me but he took it all in stride,” Boler said. “He has low muscle tone in his torso, which I have found is not unusual for kids with craniosynostosis. He is currently doing physical therapy and is making great progress.”
“His head looks amazing and scars are barely visible,” Megan wrote.
Doctors stated that Matthew’s young age was also beneficial because the condition was detected early enough to be corrected in a timely fashion. On July 16, Matthew will celebrate his first birthday.
[Image(s) via YouTube Screen Captures; Megan Boler]
