StatPearls-/-ä 2024[Jan]; ä (ä): ä PMID33620786show ga
The term "brachycephaly" is derived from the Greek words "brakhu" (short) and "cephalos" (head), which translates to "short head." Brachycephaly is an infant skull deformity characterized by a lower-than-normal ratio of the skull's length to its width. Infants with this form of skull deformity have a flattening of the cranium's occipital aspect; consequently, there is an apparent shortening of the skull in the anteroposterior dimension (length). Brachycephaly may be positional (non-synostotic) or synostotic. The incidence of infant positional skull deformities has been on the rise since 1992. This appears to be related to the introduction of the measure of infant supine sleep positioning by the American Association of Pediatrics as a means to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, brachycephaly in infants can also occur due to the phenomenon of craniosynostosis. The infant skull has the dual function of providing protection for the brain in addition to allowing for its volumetric growth and development. The cranial vault or calvaria in infants comprises several bones separated by fibrous joints or cranial sutures. There are two frontal bones separated by a metopic suture and two parietal bones separated from each other by a sagittal suture. A coronal suture separates the two parietal bones from the two frontal bones, which includes the anterior fontanelle (future bregma). Paired squamosal sutures separate paired temporal bones on either side of the calvaria from the two parietal bones, and a lambdoid suture which includes the posterior fontanelle (future lambda), separates a single occipital bone from the two parietal bones. The anterior fontanelle typically closes by 2.5 years of age, while the posterior fontanelle normally closes by 2 to 3 months of age. Craniosynostosis refers to the premature mineralization and fusion of one or more of these fibrous joints, which occur between the bones of the calvaria before the completion of brain growth and development in infants.
StatPearls-/-ä 2024 ; ä (ä): ä
