When is craniosynostosis diagnosed?
But as your baby grows, a misshapen head could be a sign of something else. The earlier you can get a diagnosis—ideally, before the age of 6 months—the more effective treatment can be. Craniosynostosis is a condition in which the sutures in a child’s skull close too early, causing problems with head growth.
Can you diagnose craniosynostosis?
Craniosynostosis requires evaluation by specialists, such as a pediatric neurosurgeon or a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Diagnosis of craniosynostosis may include: Physical exam. Your doctor will feel your baby’s head for abnormalities such as suture ridges, and look for facial deformities.
Does sagittal craniosynostosis always require surgery?
The mildest forms of craniosynostosis do not require treatment. These cases manifest as mild ridging without significant deformity. Most cases, however, do require surgical management.
What happens if you don’t treat craniosynostosis?
Sometimes, if the condition is not treated, the build-up of pressure in the baby’s skull can lead to problems, such as blindness, seizures, or brain damage.
What are cranial suture lines?
cranial sutures. the interlocking lines of fusion (fibrous joints) of the bones forming the skull. The lines gradually become less prominent as a person matures. Also called suturae cranii.
What is cranial stenosis?
Cranial Stenosis is the condition where a newborn baby’s skull bones become fused together. Generally what happens in a normal skull is that the bones have pliable, stretchy “sutures” of cartilage and tissue that can grow and adapt to a baby’s rapidly growing brain.
What is cranial suture?
A cranial suture is a joint found between the bones of the cranium, the rounded portion of the skull that houses the brain. A type of joint known in anatomy as a synarthrosis, the cranial suture allows little to no movement between bones, and what little is allowed typically occurs in the first couple of years of life as the skull is hardening.