What is craniosynostosis?

Also known as: synostosis

Most babies are born with a skull made up of several bony plates that are not yet fused by bone but are joined together by soft tissue. These lines of soft tissue are called “sutures” or “suture lines”; they allow the head to be flexible and mold as it passes through the birth canal. These sutures normally “close” with a bone when the infant is 2-3 years old. However, when a baby has craniosynostosis, one or more of the skull bones are joined together by bone prematurely. This leads to problems depending on which and how many sutures may have closed early.


Reviewed by: Parul B Jayakar, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM

© 2024 Nicklaus Children's Hospital. All Rights Reserved.