Pediatric Craniosynostosis An Overview Johns Hopkins Medicine COVID-19 Updates Masks are required inside all of our care facilities. We are vaccinating all eligible patients. Learn more: Vaccines, Boosters & Additional Doses Testing Patient Care Visitor Guidelines Coronavirus Email Alerts Find more COVID-19 testing locations on Maryland.gov. CloseSearch Submit Search Popular Searches coronavirus careers medical records map insurance accepted telemedicine Menu Health Pediatric Craniosynostosis An Overview Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share on Pinterest Share via Email Print this Page When babies' skull bones fuse earlier than they should, it causes their heads to grow in abnormal ways. Doctors call this pediatric craniosynostosis, which means your child's skull isn't growing properly. A severe change to a baby's head shape soon after birth is a telltale sign of this condition. Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeons have successfully treated many infants with this condition. Here are some of the basics. What is pediatric craniosynostosis When a baby is born, the skull consists of several plates. These plates are very malleable (moveable), which helps ensure the skull can fit through the birth canal. In between the skull bones are sutures (or fibrous joints) that separate each bone. As a baby grows, those sutures eventually close. When one of these sutures fuses or closes, too early, it's called pediatric craniosynostosis. The effect is an abnormal head shape that could look like: Bulging of the forehead on one side Bulging of the forehead and back of the head An abnormally long head An irregularly shaped face and skull (an even rarer condition that occurs when two sutures fuse) Why does craniosynostosis cause such an abnormal head shape You may wonder how two bones fusing together could cause such a drastic change in your child's head shape. For many years, doctors wondered this too. It's now widely believed that when a suture closes early, the skull then grows parallel to the suture. Doctors call this Virchow's rule, after leading 19th-century German physician Rudolph Virchow. For example, consider the suture that spans the middle of the head. When this fuses early, the brain grows lengthwise (parallel to the suture), causing bulging in the forehead and bulging in the back. Does craniosynostosis hurt my child What can I do to fix it In many cases, this is largely an aesthetic problem. It may be severe enough to need correcting, but that doesn't necessarily mean a change in head shape is hurting your child. Your doctor can tell you whether (and which) treatment is right for your child. Today, Johns Hopkins neurosurgeons treat this condition in minimally invasive ways for infants 3 months old and younger. That means: Less risk of surgery complications A faster recovery Less risk of lasting effects Find a Doctor Specializing In: Cranial Vault Craniosynostosis Reconstructive Plastic Surgery At Another Johns Hopkins Member Hospital: Howard County General Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital Suburban Hospital Find a Treatment Center Pediatric Neurosurgery Pediatric Neurology Pediatric Plastic Surgery Cleft and Craniofacial Center See More Find Additional Treatment Centers at: Howard County General Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital Suburban Hospital Related Helmet Therapy for Your Baby Pediatric Craniosynostosis Surgery: What You Should Know Pediatric Craniosynostosis: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment Craniosynostosis Request an Appointment Find a Doctor Find a Doctor See More Related Pediatric Procedures Helmet Therapy for Your Baby Craniosynostosis Pediatric Craniosynostosis Surgery: What You Should Know Craniosynostosis Pediatric Craniosynostosis: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment