THE Shenzhen Children’s Hospital launched a skull deformity clinic in its outpatient department Friday to provide customized and systematic medical treatment to children with skull deformities, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported Sunday.

According to the report, the most common skull deformity in young children is developmental skull deformity, which is caused by sleeping in incorrect positions while infants.

Adjustments to sleeping position could reduce skull deformity in babies younger than 3 months old. Children older than 3 months and younger than 18 months require an orthopedic helmet to correct the deformity.

Another kind of skull deformity is caused by craniosynostosis, which hinders the normal development of skulls and affects intellectual and motor development. Currently, the only effective treatment for patients with craniosynostosis is orthopedic surgery.

Children with hydrocephalus usually have larger head circumferences than ordinary kids and also need to undergo surgery to repair the deformity.

Brain dysplasia could lead to skull deformity. Children with brain dysplasia usually have a smaller head circumference and their physical development is slower than other kids of the same age. These children need to do rehabilitation exercises to expedite their brain development.

According to the report, the Shenzhen Children’s Hospital is the first hospital in China to set up a skull deformity clinic in its outpatient department. The business hours of the clinic are Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons. (Zhang Yang)