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Craniosynostosis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Premature closure of sutures

Symptoms:

Absence of the normal feeling of a "soft spot" (fontanelle) on the newborn's skull
Disappearance of the fontanelle early
A raised hard ridge along the affected sutures
Unusual head shape
Slow or no increase in the head size over time as the baby grows

Signs and tests:

The doctor will feel the infants head and perform a physical exam. A neurological exam would also help diagnose the condition. The following tests may be performed:

Measuring the width of the infant's head
X-rays of the skull
CT scan of the head

Skull of a newborn

Reviewed last on: 10/15/2007
Deirdre O’Reilly, MD, MPH, Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

References

Goetz CG. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2003: 576-577.

Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 17th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2004:1992-1993.

Ridgway EB. Skull deformities. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2004; 51(2): 359-87.

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