Surgeons will rebuild 1-in-50,000 baby’s head to allow his brain to grow

A BABY with a one-in-50,000 condition making his skull too small for his growing brain is to undergo major surgery.

Ashton Tiffin, from Invergordon, was born with a fused skull stopping his brain from growing and, if untreated, threatening to blind him or shorten his life.

But paediatric surgeons at Edinburgh’s Children’s Hospital will rebuild his skull with spaces in between the bones for his brain to grow and allow him to develop into a healthy child.

His mum, Nicola, 26, said: “It’s major surgery for anyone, far less an infant to go through.

“But it’s Ashton’s chance of growing into a healthy wee lad.

“He is five months old now but doctors are waiting till October, when he’s a bit older to give him the best chance of recovery.

“They will remove the skull which has fused together and reshape it.

“It will then be reassembled with spaces for his brain to expand as it grows.

“We have been told that his skull will knit back together again.

“All going well, he will be out of hospital in five days and back home.

“We have been assured that he will recover and be able to eat and drink normally within a day or so of the operation.

“Babies bounce back from surgery much quicker than adults.”

Ashton was only a few weeks old when Nicola noticed his skull was developing unusually.

The infant suffers from a rare skull condition called craniosynostosis.

The bones in the skull fused together in the womb instead of at the usual age of two.

It is leaving little room for the brain to grow and develop properly.

Little Ashton will have a zig-zag scar across his head, from one side to the other.

But doctors have assured Nicola, it can be covered by hair as he grows. “Hopefully, he will be too young to remember going through it,” she added.

Maxillofacial surgeon, Mr Stephen Dover, said: “Babies with this condition are operated on when they are under 18 months old.

“It’s rare and the incidence can be up to one in 50,000.

“The surgery requires a team of at least two surgeons working together. They are transferred to high dependency after surgery and can often be out of hospital in four to five days.

“Babies bounce back much more quickly than adults.”

Surgery is carried out above the dura, the membrane that covers the brain.