Some head deformities require early detection and early treatment!
Many newborn babies’ heads are not uniformly elliptical, and some are normal. They are slightly deformed due to the compression of the birth canal at birth, and can slowly recover later; some are caused by their parents deliberately falling asleep; Belongs to deformity.
So, how to judge whether the baby's head shape is normal?
Figure 1. Sleeping small head
Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics summarized the normal head shape and various types of head deformities, including some head deformities that need to be corrected by surgery.
The skull and face are composed of many bones. In childhood, the bones are separated by gaps, which provide space for growth and development of the skull and face. Depending on the location of the gap, the specific age of closure is also different.
Figure 2. Anatomical structure diagram of the top of the human head.
If the gaps in the skull close early during the growth of the head (this is what is called "premature cranial suture closure"), the closed part of the head cannot grow and expand, which not only It can cause abnormal head shape, affect appearance, increase intracranial pressure, and affect brain development. In severe cases, it will cause atrophy of the visual and auditory nerves, affecting vision and hearing.
Therefore, the judgment of the head shape is very important. The earlier the head deformity is identified, the more helpful it is to prevent the baby from developing problems such as increased intracranial pressure and also help the baby's brain development.
Figure 3. Different types of premature cranial suture closure
Different types of premature cranial suture closure can lead to different head deformities. Let's take a look at the specific types of premature cranial suture closure and the head deformities.
1, the deformity caused by the premature closure of the sagittal suture
is the most common type of premature cranial suture closure, and the number of children with premature closure of the sagittal suture accounts for nearly half of the cases of head deformity. The characteristic of early closure of the sagittal suture of
is that the head becomes longer before and after, but the left and right sides become narrower. Some children’s heads are sunken down in the middle. Viewed from the side, the head looks like a "peanut" with both ends. High and low in the middle, also like a small boat. Therefore, this type of head deformity is called "scaphoid head" deformity.
For children with scaphoid head deformity, correction can only be done through surgery.
Figure 4. Navicular head deformity, the top of the baby's head is sunken in the middle, and the front and back are relatively high, looking like a "peanut"
2, triangular head deformity
Figure 5. Triangular head deformity, you can see the baby's forehead has a forward The protruding part, which resembles a triangle
, is the second most common premature closure of the frontal suture, which accounts for 19%-28% of all cases.
Because the frontal bones on both sides of the baby are mainly connected by the frontal sutures, if the frontal sutures are closed prematurely, it will be difficult for the skull to expand forward. At this time, the development of the brain is restricted, and it will grow to both sides, causing the skull to expand to both sides and the back end, causing the baby's head to look like a triangle. Therefore, the deformity caused by the premature closure of the frontal suture is also called "triangular head" deformity.
3, deformity caused by unilateral coronal suture premature closure
Figure 6. Anterior plagiocephaly, it can be clearly seen that the baby’s head is skewed to one side
is the third most common cranial suture deformity, unilateral coronal suture premature closure is The incidence rate in the population is 0.07%. The difference between
and other types is that the incidence of unilateral coronary suture premature closure in women is higher than that in men. Premature closure of unilateral coronal suture can cause anterior plagiocephaly.
This is because there are two sides of the coronal suture. If one side is closed prematurely, it will cause the baby's forehead to appear unilaterally tilted, which will lead to facial dysplasia. In severe cases, it may even cause a decline in intelligence and cognition. Z1z
this type of deformity can only be resolved by surgery.
4. Deformities caused by bilateral early closure of the coronal sutures
Figure 7. Anterior brachycephaly, with very flat forehead
If the coronal sutures on both sides are closed prematurely, it will cause another type of head deformity-short anterior Head deformity, the incidence of this type of deformity is relatively low. Children with
anterior brachycephaly will have a symmetrical flat forehead, the entire forehead looks very flat, and the eye sockets look relativelysmall.
5. The deformity caused by the premature closure of the herringbone
Figure 8. The premature closure of the unilateral herringbone will produce a "trapezoid" or "parallelogram" type of head deformity
premature closure of the herringbone is relatively rare Craniosynostosis closed prematurely. Studies have shown that premature closure of the herringbone accounts for only 2% of all cases. If
is closed in advance on one side of the herringbone seam, it is easy to cause a deformity similar to "trapezoid" or "parallelogram" on the baby's head (as shown). On the side where the closure occurs, the occiput and forehead are relatively flat, while the occiput on the opposite side protrudes upward. In addition, the closed ear will also be tilted backward, and there will be a small bulge behind the ear, which is caused by the mastoid bulge.
If both sides of the herringbone are closed prematurely, both sides of the occiput will become very flat.
Generally speaking, through a physical examination performed by a doctor and an imaging examination, it is basically possible to determine what kind of head deformity the child belongs to. If surgery is not needed, parents should help children correct their postures in their daily lives, let them do more exercises to stretch their necks, or find a physical therapist for physical therapy.
Exercise your baby’s neck and back muscles and prevent flat head "belly time" Do you know? This exercise makes the baby healthy and beautiful! How to do it? Pediatrician teaches you
References:
1.Mark S.Dias, Thomas Samson, Elias B. Rizk, Lance S. Governale, Joan T. Richtsmeier, Section on neurologic surgery, section on plastic and reconstructive surgery. Pediatrics Sep 2020,146 (3) e2020015511
article source: pediatric medical community channel
author: Yan Hao
editor: Li Xiaorong
