Craniosynostosis Symptoms and Treatment

A baby’s skull is not just one bowl-shaped piece of bone. It is made up of five thin, body plates that are held together by fibrous material called sutures. The sutures let a baby’s skull expand as the brain grows. Over time, the sutures harden and close the skull bones together.

 

When a baby has craniosynostosis, one or more of these sutures close too soon. The head doesn’t form a normal shape.

 

How the disease affects your baby depends in part on how many of the skull sutures close too soon:

 

If only one suture closes, the baby’s brain usually develops normally, but the head has an odd shape. This happens in most cases of craniosynostosis.

 

If more than one suture closes, the baby’s brain may not be able to grow as fast as it should. If severe pressure builds up around the brain, it may cause brain damage, seizures, blindness, and developmental delays. But this severe pressure is rare.

 

Craniosynostosis occurs in about 1 out of 2,000 births. It is also called craniosynostosis.

 

Surgery to form new suture(s) is usually needed in the first year of life. It helps prevent or relieve pressure on the brain. It also corrects your baby’s head shape.

 

The earlier your child has surgery, the better the results. If there is pressure on the brain, your child needs surgery right away. If your baby doesn’t seem to have pressure on the brain, your doctor may advise you to wait and see if your baby’s head shape returns to normal without surgery. Your child may wear a special helmet or other device to help reshape the skull. But your child may still need surgery later.

 

 

Source: http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/craniosynostosis-topic-overview?print=true