What’s wrong with this kid?
before
after
Different anatomical view
before
after
How cute is this baby?!
before
after
Which bone of the skull was forming
incorrectly?
BEFORE
AFTER
Skull of Newborn (which bones are not
labeled?)
What would cause the flattening of the
occipital bone in infants?
• Before birth:
– Multiple births
– Baby dropped early or very large
– Lack of amniotic fluid
• After birth:
– Baby frequently lying or sitting in the same
position
– “back to sleep” to prevent SIDS
What are the causes infant skull
deformities?
• Deformational plagiocephaly - a condition
where an infant has an uneven or irregular
shaped head
– Can be corrected using a cranial molding helmet
– Best results if used in the first 4-8 months
A more serious condition of skull
deformity:
• Craniosynostosis- the premature fusing of two
or more of the bony plates that form an
infant's skull.
– This condition can only be corrected with surgery
What are the 6 cranial bones that must
fuse together? What are sutures?
• the occipital, the frontal, the two temporal
and two parietal
• These bones are separated by crooked lines,
called sutures.
Normally, these bony plates grow together
during the first few years of life. But
sometimes they fuse together before brain
growth is complete. This can result in a
misshapen skull and can also interfere with
normal brain growth and development.
• Continuing after birth, the brain
grows very rapidly during the first
several years of life.
• This growth is made possible by
corresponding growth of the cranial
bones along the suture lines.
Purpose of sutures and
Fontanels…
• The bones and sutures form
an almost complete
covering for the brain.
• The remaining open places
are called soft spots, or
fontanels.
• The sutures and fontanels
allow the bones of the skull
to shift during delivery.
Types of craniosynostosis
• Premature closing of the suture lines, called
craniosynostosis, results in a misshapen head.
• The resulting head shape depends on which
suture has closed prematurely.
• For instance, if the sagittal suture fuses (the
long one running from front to back in the
center of the head), the head becomes long
and narrow. Sagittal synostosis is the most
common form of craniosynostosis
Craniosynostosis is rare and requires
surgery.
Most infant skull irregularities are
plagiocephaly – no surgery required.
• Because a newborns skull bones are still
moldable, cranial molding helmets help to reshape the skull painlessly
You make the diagnosis…
• Look at the pictures and determine which
skull bones and sutures are forming irregularly
A
B
C
D