KEY POINTS Differentiating between craniosynostosis and primary cranial deformation is critical to determining the proper mode of treatment. It is important for pediatric and primary care providers to know the normal range and timing of fontanel and cranial suture closure.…
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KEY POINTS Brachycephaly is defined as a shortened, wide head, often caused by constant supine positioning during infancy. Infants should be placed on their backs for sleep but on their stomachs during awake time under adult supervision to encourage neck…
KEY POINTS Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has a multifactorial and heterogeneous etiology with a triple-risk hypothesis proposed: (1) exogenous/environmental stressor, (2) early infancy, and (3) an underlying vulnerability or genetic susceptibility. Metabolic conditions have historically been thought to be…
KEY POINTS Deformational plagiocephaly is most common in first born, large babies, breech presentation, and multiple-gestation infants. Factors associated with asymmetric head deformation include a constraining intrauterine environment, clavicular fracture, cervical/vertebral abnormalities, and incomplete bone mineralization. Nonsynostotic , deformational ,…
KEY POINTS Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) must be distinguished from acquired torticollis and underlying structural torticollis (from cervical vertebral anomalies). It is most often caused by a congenital asymmetry in the length and/or strength of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles. CMT…
KEY POINTS Congenital compression of the chin can limit jaw growth before birth and result in asymmetric jaw retrusion. An asymmetric mandible can be secondary to an altered cranial base or a condylar abnormality secondary to genetic or environmental factors.…
KEY POINTS Congenital ear deformities are common, with an incidence as high as 58% of all newborns. Congenital ear anomalies are divided into malformations and deformations. Malformations involve chondro-cutaneous defects, while deformations involve mechanically distorted architectural anomalies of the newborn’s…
KEY POINTS Nasal deformities can result from constraint or a birth-related trauma in newborns. Nasal septum deviations must be distinguished from deformities of the whole nose. Spontaneous correction of nasal deformities can occur within the first 3 months of life.…
KEY POINTS External fetal constraint rarely causes persistent scoliosis but can result in infantile idiopathic scoliosis that responds to physical therapy. Congenital scoliosis is caused by a failure of vertebral segmentation, which may lead to progressive spinal deformity with growth.…