Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of the fibrous sutures in a young infant's skull prematurely fuses by turning into bone, changing the growth pattern of the skull. Because the skull cannot expand perpendicular to the fused suture, it compensates by growing more in the direction parallel to the closed sutures, which can produce an abnormal head shape and abnormal facial features. When this compensation does not provide enough space for the growing brain, craniosynostosis can raise intracranial pressure and lead to visual impairment, sleeping impairment, eating difficulties, or impaired mental development.