Craniosynostosis

Understanding Craniosynostosis

When most babies are born, the spaces between the bones in the child’s head are filled with flexible material called sutures, which allows the baby’s brain to grow and expand. The gaps between the bones create the “soft spot” that parents love to kiss. Eventually, most babies’ sutures join the bones together by age two. For some children, however, those bones fuse together too early, closing off the brain’s ability to grow inside the skull.

This is called craniosynostosis. It often results in a misshapen head that’s visible either at birth or within the baby’s first few months. If left untreated, craniosynostosis can restrict brain growth and can cause increased pressure inside the head, deformities in skull shape and vision problems.

There are different types of craniosynostosis, so it’s important to begin care early so that a doctor can assess your child’s needs.

What causes craniosynostosis and how common is it?

The cause of most types of craniosynostosis is unknown, though some cases can be linked to a genetic issue. Craniosynostosis occurs in about one in every 2,500 babies born in the United States.

What are the types of craniosynostosis?

There are several different craniosynostosis types based on which of the five skull bones prematurely fused together. The types of craniosynostosis include:

• Bicoronal, which occurs on both sides of the baby’s head.
• Unicoronal is on one sides of the head.
• Sagittal runs along the top of the head.
• Lambdoid goes along the backside of the head.
• Metopic runs from the baby’s nose to the top of the head.

Syndromic craniosynostosis is another type of the condition, which is linked to a genetic issue. This type of craniosynostosis is sometimes detected in utero. It can cause breathing difficulties, cardiac problems and sometimes rapid development of hydrocephalus, a fluid buildup in the brain.