Siblings with same rare birth defect like being ‘struck twice by lightning’


March 2, 2017

When Christa and Rob Ellis welcomed their fourth child into the world, they were astounded to see a small ridge along their son’s forehead. A similar ridge was found on their oldest daughter’s forehead when she was born, a sign that she had a rare genetic condition called metopic craniosynostosis.

The condition is characterized by a fusing of the front part of the skull along the forehead. Without treatment the fused skull can result in brain damage as the child grows. The brain can be compressed or be put under increased pressure if the skull does not expand.

While other versions of craniosynostosis, where different parts of the skull are fused, can be due to genetic mutations shared by a family, in this case the condition happens spontaneously meaning it is was not more likely to occur in a single family. Read full article.