Craniosynostosis

By: Victoria Scheller

What is Craniosynostosis?
• Craniosynostosis is a birth defect where one or more fibrous joints between bones
in a baby’s skull close before the baby’s brain is fully formed.
• Genetic mutation in growth factor receptor genes
• As the brain continues to grow, the head becomes misshapen.
• Occurs before the brain is fully developed
• If brain is not yet fully developed, it can result in pressure stored in the brain
• Noticeable on a baby right after birth
• Occurs in 1 out of 2000 live births
Types/ Affects
• The types of craniosynostosis depend on what sutures join together early
• Sagittal Synostosis- causes the head to grow long and narrow; sagittal suture is
located down the center of the top of the skull, running from the baby’s soft spot
in the front, to the back of the head; most common
• Coronal Synostosis- coronal structures run from the top of each ear to the
sagittal, in the top center of the skull; when these close too early, it results in a
flattened forehead, or the baby’s eye socket or nose could be raised up on the
closed-suture side; second most common
• Bicoronal Synostosis- occurs when both coronal sutures close too early;
causes the baby’s head to grow broad and short
Types/ Affects
• Lambdoid Synostosis- the lambdoid suture runs along the back of the head;
results in the back of the head being flattened; one of the rarest forms of
craniosynostosis
• Metopic Synostosis- runs from the baby’s nose to the sagittal suture; results in
the baby’s head appearing in a triangular shape, narrow in front and wide in back;
one of the rarest forms of craniosynostosis
• If not treated immediately, the built up pressure
in the baby’s skull can cause blindness, seizures,
or brain damage
Normal Skull vs. Craniosynostosis
• There are gaps between a typical baby’s skull bones that are filled with sutures, or
flexible material
• The sutures in a normal child’s skull form into bone around two years of age
• Skulls affected by craniosynostosis are misshapen, and depending on the sutures
affected, the baby’s face may also be distorted
• As a normal baby grows, their head is round because their skull grows at the same
rate as their face. For a baby affected by craniosynostosis, the skull remains
smaller while the face grows
• From birth to the age of two years old, a normal baby’s skull will grow four times
in size
Treatments
• Skull surgery is used to fix, or cure, the affects of craniosynostosis, and is viewed
as a very serious procedure
• Usually the surgery is done by a neurosurgeon and a plastic surgeon; sometimes a
craniofacial team coordinates the care of the child
• The majority of small-incision procedures must occur within the first few months
after birth. The larger-incision procedures are typically done when the patient is
6-12 months old.
• If treated, not fatal
Bibliography
• “Birth Defects.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 10 Dec. 2015,
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/craniosynostosis.html.
• “Craniosynostosis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and
Research, 4 Aug. 2017, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesl-
conditions/craniosynostosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354513.
• “Craniosynostosis.” Pediatric Neurosurgery,
https://pediatricneurosurgery.org/diagnosis/craniosynostosis.
My Story…
In the picture above, Christian is about two months old, and has
not yet had surgery. You can see how his skull is narrower and
smaller than his face. To the right, you can see how his head was
cone-shaped. This picture is in the hospital right after he was
born.
Christian wore a helmet for about one year, which
helped his head grow into a normal shape. The picture
below is his stitched up scar from the surgery, which
he still has today.
Thank you