An infant's skull is made up of several bones.  The fibrous joints that allow these plates to push apart to allow for rapid brain growth during the baby's first three years of life are called sutures.  There are several major sutures: sagital, metopic, coronal and lambdoid.  Several of them join at the top of the head in the middle of the skull, better known as the soft spot or anterior fontanelle.  As the brain grows, the sutures allow for rapid expansion in a symmetrical shape.  It is the brain growth that essentially determines the shape of the head and face as well as the size of the skull in normal circumstances.   The brain will push the skull out and grow in whichever direction the bones are not fused, therefore, creating an abnormal head shape.

Craniosynostosis may also cause the pressure inside the head to increase in which the following symptoms may include:
- Developmental delay
- high pitched cry
- unusual behavior (increased irritability,  change in sleep pattern, ..)
- lethargicness
- headaches
- decreased appetite
- vomitting

If craniosynostosis is suspected, a qualified craniofacial team should be consulted right away.  As with any other condition, prognosis is terrific when treated in a timely manner.  Normally, craniosynostosis is diagnosed and treated within the first year of life, when the most rapid head growth occurs.  A 3D CT scan is typically taken to rule out or confirm the diagnosis.  X-rays cannot be relied upon to make that determination.

Email: kaci@kaciking.com