Helpful Tips Parents Should Consider When Dealing With Craniosynostosis In An Infant

Craniosynostosis is a medical condition, occurring in infants, where the sutures close too early. This can result in abnormal brain and skull growth. If your baby is currently dealing with this unfortunate condition, these tips are important to consider as the parent. 

Get an Official Diagnosis 

Just because your infant's head is misshaped, doesn't automatically mean they have craniosynostosis. It could be another condition that's perhaps less severe. So that you're completely sure of what your infant is dealing with, their medical condition needs to be properly diagnosed.

You need to have them looked at by a specialist who has experience examining head shapes and conditions in infants. They'll run a series of scans and tests to come up with a proper diagnosis. If their misshaped head is due to craniosynostosis, they'll indicate this and provide an outline for what your infant's treatment options are like. 

Understand the Surgery Process 

One of the most common ways to deal with craniosynostosis is to have surgery performed. It's important as the parent to know what this surgery involves, so you're completely on the same page with your infant's pediatric neurosurgeon. 

You can schedule a consultation with them in the weeks leading up to surgery, where you can learn what steps will take place. The type of surgery your infant undergoes depends on the suture that fused and the shape of their head. Whatever surgery option is chosen by the neurosurgeon, they'll provide a list of steps and a time period for when each will be performed.

Take Care of the Suture Line 

After your child has surgery performed on the suture, it's important that you know how to care for the suture line. This will ultimately help prevent infection from occurring. First and foremost, you need to keep this line clean at all times. You can achieve this with baby shampoo and warm water. Get in the habit of scrubbing this suture line a couple of times a day.

You'll also want to use a special ointment on the suture line, which will be prescribed by your neurosurgeon. Use it exactly as stated so you can speed up your infant's healing process.

Hearing that your baby has craniosynostosis may cause a lot of fear in your family. Fortunately, treating this condition is pretty standard today. What you can do as the infant's parent is research and utilize the right resources. When you become informed, you'll know what the recovery road is like and thus won't feel as worried. 

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