Facial cranial stenosis, or craniostenosis as it is also called, is a genetic alteration that causes the bones that make up the head to close before the scheduled time, causing changes in the baby’s head and face.
It may or may not be related to a syndrome and there is no intellectual disability of the child, however, he/she has to face certain surgeries during his or her lifetime to prevent the brain from compressing into a small space by committing other bodily functions.
Characteristics of the baby with facial cranial stenosis are
There are several causes of facial cranial stenosis. It may or may not be related to a genetic disease or syndrome, such as Crouzon syndrome or Apert syndrome, or it can be caused by taking medications during pregnancy, such as phenobarbital, a medicine used for epilepsy.
Studies show that mothers who smoke or live at high altitude are more likely to generate a baby with facial cranial stenosis due to decreased oxygen that passes to the baby during pregnancy.
Treatment of facial cranial stenosis consists of a surgical procedure to remove the bone sutures that make up the bones of the head and thus allow good brain development, depending on the severity of the case 1, 2 or 3 surgeries can be performed until the end of adolescence. After surgeries, the aesthetic result is satisfactory.
The use of braces on the teeth is part of the treatment to prevent misalignment between them, prevent the involvement of chewing muscles, the temporomandibular joint and help close the bones that form the roof of the mouth.