Craniosynostosis

A congenital defect that causes one or more sutures on a baby’s head to close earlier than normal. Sutures are connections that separate each individual skull bones and early closing of a suture leads to an abnormally shaped head. Symptoms include absence of the normal feeling of a “soft spot” (the fontanelle) on a newborn’s skull; early disappearance of the fontanelle’ a raised, hard ridge along the affected sutures; unusual head shape; and slow or no increase in the head size over time as the baby grows. Diagnostic tests and exams include measuring the width of the infant’s head, X-Rays of the skull and CT scan of the head. The main treatment option for craniosynostosis is surgery to relieve any pressure on the brain, make sure there is enough room in the skull to allow the brain to properly grow and improve the appearance of the child’s head.