Craniosynostosis repair - discharge

When Your Child Was in the Hospital:

Your child was in the hospital to have the connections between bones in their skull repaired. These connections are called sutures. When a baby is born, it is normal for these sutures to be open a little. This gives the baby' s brain and head room to grow.

Your baby was born with craniosynostosis, a condition that caused 1 or more of your baby' s sutures to close too early. This can cause the shape of your baby' s head to be different than normal. Sometimes it can cause brain damage.

If your child had an open repair, the surgeon made an incision (a cut made during surgery) over part of their scalp. Pieces of bone were probably removed. The surgeon either reshaped these pieces and put them back in or left the pieces out.

A plate and some screws were put in place to help hold the bones in the right position. There was probablya lot of swelling on your child' s head and around their eyes when they were in the hospital.

If your child had their repair done with an endoscope, only 2 small cuts were made in their scalp. Bone was removed as needed.

What to Expect at Home:

Most times, most swelling and bruising will be gone after 7 days. But swelling around your child' s eyes may come and go for up to 3 weeks.

Your child' s sleeping patterns may be different when they first come home from the hospital. They may be awake at night and asleep during the day.

Self-care:

When to Call the Doctor:

Call your doctor if:

• Your child' s temperature is higher than 101.5 ºF.
• The surgery wound is red, swollen, warm, or more painful.
• There is pus, bleeding, or other drainage from the wound.
• Your child is vomiting and cannot keep food down.
• Your child is more fussy or sleepy.
• Your child seems confused.
• Your child is acting like they have a headache.
• Your child' s head is injured.