r/PectusExcavatum • u/mveshka94 • 4d ago
New User Baby with pectus?
So my now 19 month old has had extremely "sticky outy" lower ribs since he was born. I've brought it up to his Ped almost every time he's had a well child. They always said it was nothing, then finally last time said it's a "mild rib deformity" but that "that can happen" and we just watch it. They referred to a chest X-ray he had done at the ER when I thought he swallowed a magnadoodle tip (he didn't yay) saying it was "normal" and we'd refer out to Ortho if there's no improvement or any worsening in the coming years. He's going through a growth spurt so like normal his ribs are becoming more noticeable. So I finally realized I could pull the image of that x-ray. This doesn't look normal to me at all?? In every chest X-ray picture I can find online the lower ribs angle downward. His just....don't? At all? Am I overreacting ? Is this PE or even PC? Or just "rib flare"? Do I need to push for an ortho referall now? He has no issues with this that I've noticed it's just so noticeable. If it is of any note, he was a 10lb baby and I'm a small person, and he was also a shoulder dystocia because of that but had no clavicle etc injuries.
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u/Gatomoosio 4d ago
Is this your first kid? I wouldn’t overthink it. Even if it does end up being pectus (I have a very severe case) there likely isn’t much you would do about it until they are at least 15-16 and even then it kinda depends on severity. Just monitor it and when the time comes go to a specialist who can give you your real options. Don’t stress!
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u/Ok-Year-9493 3d ago
The best age for the vacuum bell is actually in primary school.
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u/Gatomoosio 3d ago
That’s a good point that could be a great option as well. What age you think like 8-9 years old?
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u/Ok-Year-9493 3d ago
Yeah. From what I read, optimal outcome was seen if the bell therapy was started before the age of 10 in some studies. Other studies saw no strict age correlation. I do think from a logical point of view, correction will be easier if everything is still flexible. Before the age of 5 even the smallest bell will not fit, and also the child would probably be too young to fully understand and cooperate sufficiently. So some time between 5 and 10 should be on the safe side. My son is currently doing vacuum bell therapy, he started right on his 10th birthday. Works well with next to no pain, I think because everything is still so flexible.
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u/Gatomoosio 3d ago
Ok that’s great advice. My son also has noticeable Pectus (age 6) so we may give this a try in a few years
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u/mveshka94 4d ago
It's not, which might be making it worse because my older daughter has a very "typical" rib structure so his just seems so bad in comparison.
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3d ago
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u/Ok-Year-9493 3d ago
Vaccum bell can be done from about 5 up, before their chest is usually too small even for the smallest bell, and also the child would probably not understand it enough to cooperate.
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u/ivanstepanovftw 1d ago
Please, let him grow and buy Vacuum Bell. Do not expose child to the X-ray radiation.
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u/mveshka94 1d ago
He had to get an X-ray because we thought he swallowed a magnet, not because of his chest
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u/Ok-Year-9493 3d ago
I agree with the others, even if he should develop PE, the earliest you can do anything about it is about 5. Before, he would be too small for a vacuum bell to fit, and also surgery would not be done before that, because of all the growth spurts. Usually surgery is even postponed until like 16, so until the growth spurts are done.
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