# crooked gluteal cleft



## KatSG (Aug 11, 2003)

Does anyone have any experience with this? My newborn has a cleft that looks like a crooked Y at the top. The midwives seemed unconcerned, and the baby is fine otherwise, but now that the birth haze has lifted I'm concerned. I've done a tiny bit of Googling and have found info about tethered spinal chords and spina bifida. I myself have one vertebrate that missed and some other kind of pelvic anamoly, but nothing that has ever slowed me down. In fact, I didn't even know about these issues until I was 19 and threw my back out and got an x-ray.

We're going to our family nurse practioner on Thursday, but I think I may have to push to get to an expert. I'm not even sure what kind of physician to go to!

Thanks in advance for any info. Links are very much appreciated as I'm NAK most of the time.


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## bri276 (Mar 24, 2005)

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache...s&ct=clnk&cd=1

apparently before 2 months they can do an ultrasound, after that it has to be an MRI. I'd ask for a referral to an orthopedist if you are very concerned.
as someone whose baby has lots of medical issues- don't get freaked out! it's probably nothing, and if it's something, you'll deal with it, and it will be fine. sounds like a pretty common thing though, so don't worry too much!


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## grumpyshoegirl (Mar 2, 2006)

My daughter also has the y-shape at the top. We had an U/S done at the hospital and they said it was just a normal variation. Her leg function is totally normal which is also reassuring, plus I have a good (adult) friend who has this, and she's totally fine.


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Hi, my 3 yo has this, actually you can see a little hole there almost (although it is closed)- but every dr who has examined him has said it's fine. He had/has no difficulties that would indicate that it is affecting his spinal cord or legs.

I'm not sure what type of specialist you'd see, but an u/s or mri just to rule anything out doesn't sound like a bad idea, if you're worried.


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## chiro_kristin (Dec 31, 2004)

I find that gluteal cleft deviations are often indicative of sacroiliac subluxations and straighten immediately after the adjustment. When I examine the pelvis of a baby for subluxation, that's the first thing I look at. I sometimes squeeze their little tushy cheeks together (yes, that's the technical term







) to see if it accentuates it.

But my other thought is spina bifida occulta, which isn't anything to worry about in most cases.


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## Swandira (Jun 26, 2005)

Lydia had a less serious crookedness to her gluteal cleft -- it just wasn't straight up and down. I took her with me to a chiropractic adjustment, and he adjusted her as well. The problem was immediately resolved. So it may something as simple as a vertebra slightly out of line.

Good luck!
Nealy


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## KatSG (Aug 11, 2003)

nak

thanks for all your responses. we go see our np tomorrow and i'll ask for an ultrasound.

chiro kristin, her cleft actually branches into two lines at the top, but not straight up, more like a leaning Y. have you seen this before?


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## gzoeller (Sep 25, 2014)

*Dr. Garrett Zoeller*

I am a pediatric neurosurgeon, and yes, the forked (Y-shaped) or asymmetric (veering off to right or left) cleft is abnormal. Most likely, spinal imaging will be normal, but a fair percentage (5-15%) of these children will have tethered spinal cord and should be evaluated specifically by a pediatric neurosurgeon. Some pediatricians are familiar with this entity, but I've found that many are not. Here are two publications. Hope this helps!

1. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral spine in children with chronic constipation or non-retentive fecal incontinence: a prospective study.

Bekkali NL, Hagebeuk EE, Bongers ME, van Rijn RR, Van Wijk MP, Liem O, Benninga MA.

J Pediatr. 2010 Mar;156(3):461-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.09.048. Epub 2009 Nov 5.

2. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2012 Mar;9(3):274-9. doi: 10.3171/2011.12.PEDS11351.

Use of lumbar ultrasonography to detect occult spinal dysraphism.

Chern JJ1, Kirkman JL, Shannon CN, Tubbs RS, Stone JD, Royal SA, Oakes WJ, Rozzelle CJ, Wellons JC.


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