'Real Housewives' star Teddi Mellencamp says her 4-month-old requires brain surgery

By Megan Stone & Carson Blackwelder, Video by Faith Bernstein

"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Teddi Mellencamp -- daughter of John Mellencamp -- announced Monday that her 4-month-old daughter, Dove, will undergo brain surgery.

"Dealing with anxiety, especially when in the 'public eye,' isn't easy; and going into July it's at an all-time high," the 39-year-old wrote in a post while sharing a closeup shot of her little one's face.

While the reality star admitted she was hesitant to speak about her daughter's impending operation, she hopes her story will bring comfort to parents who are dealing with a similar situation.

"Our sweet baby Dove was diagnosed with Lambdoid Craniosynostosis and has to undergo neurosurgery at the end of the month," Mellencamp said.

View this post on Instagram

Dealing with anxiety, especially when in the "public eye," isn't easy; and going into July it's at an all-time high. I was torn as to whether I should share this information, but as someone who tries to be as transparent as possible, and knowing I have a platform to reach others in similar situations, I would like to update you all. Our sweet baby Dove was diagnosed with Lambdoid Craniosynostosis and has to undergo neurosurgery at the end of the month. We are so grateful to have an amazing team of doctors and surgeons who have caught this early and will be working on her. Originally, like Cruz before her, we thought Dove had Torticollis and would likely need a doc band for re-shaping. Instead a CT scan showed Lambdoid Craniosynostosis (Lambdoid craniosynostosis is a very rare type of non-syndromic craniosynostosis and occurs when one of the lambdoid sutures at the back of the head fuses before birth). The recovery is about a week in the hospital and a couple weeks at home with a very high success rate. So although we are filled with nerves as neurosurgery sounds scary, we have our faith that she will be ok. Please keep baby Dove in your prayers and if you have had a child with this same surgery, please let me know below, as I would love any additional insight and support. Sending 💕 to you all.

A post shared by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave (@teddimellencamp) on Jul 6, 2020 at 11:32am PDT

According to the Mayo Clinic, craniosynostosis is a birth defect which occurs when a baby's skull prematurely fuses before the baby's brain is fully formed. As the brain continues to grow, the head can begin to appear misshapen. Surgery is required when the prematurely fused skull interferes with brain growth.

In Dove's case, this happened at the part of the skull known as the lamboid structure, a fibrous joint located back, or posterior, part of the skull. The lamboid type of craniosynostosis is a rare condition and, in Dove's case, is of the nonsyndromic kind, meaning no genetic disorder caused the problem.

A misshapen head isn't the only indicator of craniosynostosis, though. Mellencamp noted how they thought a band -- or, in some cases, a helmet -- were all that would be required to help reshape Dove's head. It wasn't until the doctor performed a CT scan that it was confirmed to be lambdoid craniosynostosis.

"We are so grateful to have an amazing team of doctors and surgeons who have caught this early and will be working on her," she continued. "So although we are filled with nerves as neurosurgery sounds scary, we have our faith that she will be OK."

Mellencamp also affirmed the operation has "a very high success rate" after a combination of recovery in the hospital and at home.

Despite expressing confidence in the medical team who will operate on her infant's brain, the mother of three said she would like additional comfort and guidance and asked fans to keep Dove in their prayers.

"If you have had a child with this same surgery, please let me know below, as I would love any additional insight and support," she concluded.

Besides Dove, Mellencamp is mom to 5-year-old son Cruz and 7-year-old daughter Slate, both of whom she shares with husband Edwin Arroyave.