On rare occasions, a baby with an obscure condition will come to the office.
A four-week-old presented with his mother, who said that he was tense, uncomfortable, and fussy. His neck was so tight that he could hold his head up after his birth.
He also had symbrachydactyly, a condition found in one of 32,000 infants. This condition was new to me, even after working with babies for 46 years.
AI gave this description: “A congenital and not genetic condition of an underdeveloped arm, forearm, hand, and/or fingers. Researchers believe the cause is a temporary interruption of blood flow during the fetal development of a limb. The failure of formation is not due to an injury or associated with other health problems.”
He had a zero-second brain cycle and severe strain in his right neck, shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand. He had the tightest right upper quadrant that I have ever seen in an infant. Otherwise, his body felt loose.
My feeling was that, perhaps, limited growth was not due to lack of blood flow but a situation that researchers were not aware of in that fascial strain from trauma caused the restriction of growth.
This whole area released beautifully at his first therapy visit, and his brain cycle opened to 100 seconds. His entire body became limp and relaxed as his mother and grandmother expressed amazement. I expect to work with him until he is strain-free.
Some intriguing questions arise: If the problem was a lack of blood flow, why would the fascial web tighten off the charts? When I reach strain-free, does this area still have the capability of completing fetal growth and then normal childhood growth? If so, can we assume that some type of fetal trauma, resulting in fascial strain, was the cause of this deformity?
His mother agreed to followup visits a few times a year to make sure he is strain-free and assess his growth progress. A positive response may change the whole idea of human growth.
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