Craniosynostosis is a birth defect in which the skull begins to close before the brain has finished growing. The brain then grows in areas where the skull has not closed, causing an oddly-shaped head. Craniosynostosis may involve one suture (the joint between the skull bones) in the skull closing, or multiple sutures. The shape of the head can generally be corrected with surgery in infancy, and other physical irregularities may be addressed with plastic surgery. Some children with craniosynostosis may have ongoing cognitive and sensory disabilities caused by pressure on the brain and face. Single-suture craniosynostosis may be classified as scaphocephaly, if the suture at the top of the head closes; trigonocephaly, if the fusion is in the forehead; synostic frontal plagiocephaly, if the closure is on one side of the head; and synostic posterior plagiocephaly, if it occurs on the back of the head. Types of multiple-suture craniosynostosis include Apert syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome, Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, and Carpenter syndrome.
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