Topic Overview
What is craniosynostosis?
Craniosynostosis (say
"kray-nee-oh-sih-noh-STOH-sus") is a problem with the skull that causes a
baby’s head to be oddly shaped.
A baby's skull is not just one
bowl-shaped piece of bone. It is made up of five thin, bony plates that are
held together by fibrous material called
. 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
. But this severe pressure is
rare.
Craniosynostosis occurs in about 1 out of 2,000
births.1 It is also called craniostenosis.
What causes craniosynostosis?
Experts aren't sure
what causes this problem. In some cases, it runs in families.
Craniosynostosis is more likely in babies:
- Who lie in a
while in the
.
- Whose mothers smoke or live at a
high altitude during pregnancy.
- Who are twins.
What are the symptoms?
The most common sign of
craniosynostosis is an oddly shaped head at birth or by the time the child is a
few months old. For example, the skull may become long and narrow. Or it may be
very flat and broad in front or back or on the sides. The baby may have a
misshapen nose or jaw.
This oddly shaped head may be the only sign
of craniosynostosis.
In rare cases, the disease causes pressure to
build up on the baby’s brain. This can cause brain damage and can make the baby
develop more slowly than other children. If you know your baby has this
condition, call your doctor right away if your baby:
- Begins vomiting.
- Becomes
sluggish and sleeps more and plays less.
- Becomes crankier than
usual.
- Develops swollen eyes or has problems moving the eyes or
following objects.
- Has problems hearing.
- Breathes
noisily or doesn't breathe for short periods of time.