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Evaluation of Head Shape in the Pediatric Practice: Plagiocephaly vs. Craniosynostosis

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Common Neurosurgical Conditions in the Pediatric Practice

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Abstract

An 8-week-old infant presents to your office for his 2-month well visit. His parents are first time parents and explain to you that they think their child has a “funny shaped head.” The child was the product of a naturally conceived, full term, unremarkable pregnancy with a natural spontaneous vaginal delivery without medical complication. He had a normal hospital stay and newborn screening was within normal limits. His developmental progress thus far is age appropriate. On examination, you are unable to palpate an anterior fontanel and you feel ridging along the top of his head. You also notice that the child’s head shape seems narrow and elongated. As a practitioner, what are you thinking and how should you best proceed?

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 E. 68th Street, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Charlotte A. Beam M.S., C.G.C. & G. Rene Alvarez Berastegui M.D.

  2. Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 East 68th Street, Box 99, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Jeffrey P. Greenfield M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Charlotte A. Beam M.S., C.G.C.
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  2. G. Rene Alvarez Berastegui M.D.
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  3. Jeffrey P. Greenfield M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Charlotte A. Beam M.S., C.G.C. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA

    Jeffrey P. Greenfield

  2. Manhattan Pediatrics, New York, New York, USA

    Caroline B. Long

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Beam, C.A., Berastegui, G.R.A., Greenfield, J.P. (2017). Evaluation of Head Shape in the Pediatric Practice: Plagiocephaly vs. Craniosynostosis. In: Greenfield, J., Long, C. (eds) Common Neurosurgical Conditions in the Pediatric Practice. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3807-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3807-0_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-3805-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-3807-0

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