Is my sons tender sagittal suture a cause for concern?

[DaddyDad2]

He's 8 yrs old and his sagittal suture has been tender on and off his entire life.  Some periods of time he does not complain.  Usually it's when brushing hair or patting his head he says it hurts a little.   We have never asked his doctor because it has  never bothered him enough leading up to an appointment so we didnt think to ask.  In efforts to learn more about "problem," does anyone know this a cause for concern?

[specialmom]

Hi DaddyDad.  My own son has sensory integration disorder and lots of issues around texture and food and the way clothes feel.  Tactile defensiveness is hard to understand unless you have it, I suppose.  But even I can be greatly bothered by a turtle neck.  My son acts like certain things hurt him when I'm like "how could that hurt".  :>))  The OT my son saw for  long time did something called 'brushing'.  I can tell you how to do it if you are interested.  We had a soft brush like what they use on babies in hospitals and you brush in a pattern on the arms, hands, legs and feet.  I guess the theory is it helps the nerve endings.  But the best thing we did was Occupational Therapy where they did something called 'heavy work' which directly soothed my son's nervous system. The effect could last for several days.  Happy to chat more if you'd like!

[DaddyDad2]

I forgot to mention we have tried some desensitization techniques similar to what you describe but not on a as regular basis as we probably should (likely the reason I left that out!).   Thanks for your reply- we will have to get back on that routinely (especially the scalp).  Btw, I have never seen a child as ticklish as this boy!  Is that what you experience with your child or is his does he sense it so strongly it is uncomfortable?

[Sara_MHModerator]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.  It is never a bad idea to ask your child's doctor about something you are concerned about.  If you are sure that the sagittal suture closed properly during infancy, then I would think this is the common tenderness some kids exhibit with such activity as hair brushing.  There are a lot of nerves on the scalp that can be activated with that type of action.  If it seems much more than your typical child, there is also something to look into called sensory processing disorder.  Kids with this issue often feel things in a more extreme way and while others can ignore it, the nerves receive signals of pain from that area as an overreaction to stimulation. It is what occupational therapists call tactile defensiveness which really just means touch bothers them. htthttps://thesensoryseeker.com/2018/01/24/hair-sensory-issues/ps://thesensoryseeker.com/2018/01/24/hair-sensory-issues/.  

Does your child have any other issues with touch or textures or fine motor control?  

[DaddyDad2]

Thanks for responding.  Yes,  he is funny about food texture.  This has made him a very picky eater!  He also has had issue with clothing as he does not stand for things that feel different.
For example, he only likes to wear collared  shirts and resists changes in seasonal clothes (from pants to shorts or jacket to no jacket). Fine motor control is ok.