Symptoms of Craniosynostosis
The first sign of craniosynostosis is an unusually shaped head. Other symptoms of craniosynostosis include:
- Soft spot (fontanelle) on baby's head disappears early
- Raised ridge develops along the fused sutures in the skull
- Abnormal pressure develops inside the skull
Other problems happen depending on which of the joints grow together. For example, one type of fused suture may cause a baby's face to appear slightly twisted.
Craniosynostosis Diagnosis
Craniosynostosis usually is present when your baby is born (congenital). But in mild cases, you and your doctor may not notice it right away. Doctors usually identify craniosynostosis in the first few months of life.
When your baby is born, the doctor will feel their head during a physical exam. The shape of your child's head will help the doctor tell which sutures have grown together. The doctor will most likely measure around your baby's head. This may be all your baby needs for diagnosis.
If your child's craniofacial team thinks your child has craniosynostosis, they will recommend a CT (computerized tomography) scan of your child's head. A CT scan is an X-ray procedure that takes a cross-sectional view of the body, which is enhanced by a computer. The timing of the CT scan will depend on your child's age, diagnosis and when surgery might be performed.
Your child may also have genetic tests to find out if they have one of the syndromes that cause craniosynostosis.