Craniosynostosis

Excerpt

Craniosynostosis is the result of the early fusion of cranial sutures. These sutures exist to facilitate the passage of the baby through the birth canal and later on allow the expansion and growth of the brain. When one or more sutures close prematurely, the structure of the skull becomes altered, growing on the path of least resistance (perpendicularly to the closed suture) and resulting in an atypically shaped skull leading to increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and having an effect on the respiratory and neurologic systems, as well as the development of the child.