Baby is all better

It took a mother's gaze to recognize something was amiss with Alexa Rast the day after she was born.

Craniofacial disorders are often associated with cleft palate. But the term refers to numerous conditions caused by abnormal growth patterns of the face or skull. And Alexa's condition was barely noticeable.

Her right eye appeared larger than her left. Her mother, Denise Rast of Modesto, also noticed the right side of Alexa's forehead was flatter than the left side.

"It was noticeable to me because I stare at her every day," Rast said. "It wasn't a huge deformity."

Hospital staff assured the parents that the baby's mildly misshapen head resulted from the birth and should correct itself. But within weeks, the parents learned their daughter's condition was serious and would require major surgery.

During an examination, a Modesto pediatrician noticed Alexa's face was asymmetrical and referred them to a neurologist. The specialist agreed something was wrong but advised them it could be nerve or muscle damage.

When Alexa was a month old, she was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a condition that occurs in one in 2,000 births.

When babies are born, their skulls are made up of separate plates and there are spaces between the bones so the brain has room to grow. The seams between the bones are supposed to stay open until the brain stops growing. But a seam on the right side of Alexa's face closed too early. It stunted growth on that side of her face and prevented the eye socket from expanding.

Doctors told Rast and her husband, Michael, that the pressure on the eye could lead to visual problems, even blindness. If the skull deformity were not corrected, it would exert pressure on the brain and could cause severe headaches and developmental delays.

On June 24, 9-month-old Alexa underwent an eight-hour surgery at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center. Surgeons made a zigzag incision across her head and reshaped her skull. The bones were held together with absorbable plates and screws to allow her head to develop properly.

Alexa will celebrate her first birthday next month. Except for a scar across her head, the happy baby doesn't show any signs of the ordeal. Rast said her daughter won't require follow-up surgery.

To raise awareness of craniofacial disorders, Rast is holding an event Sept. 20 at Modesto Centre Plaza. Alexa's Appeal for Craniofacial Awareness will include dinner, a silent auction, door prizes and presentations.

Proceeds will go to the Children's Craniofacial Association. The national association paid for the family's hotel room when Alexa was in the Oakland hospital. The group also funds research, assists the families of patients and advocates on behalf of the facially disfigured. Cher is national spokeswoman for the association.

"Before this happened to my daughter, I knew nothing about it," Rast said. "People just need to be aware."

Alexa's Appeal for Craniofacial Awareness is Sept. 20 at Modesto Centre Plaza, 1150 Ninth St.,

Modesto. Doors open at 5 p.m.; dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15. Call 526-3252. www.firstgiving.com/ccaawarenessdinner.

Bee staff writer Ken Carlson can be reached at kcarlson@modbee.com or 578-2321.

This story was originally published September 2, 2008 at 3:35 AM with the headline "Baby is all better."