Can You Rub the Soft Spot on a Baby's Head
What is the fontanelle?
The fontanelle is the 'soft spot' of a newborn baby's skull. It is a unique characteristic that is important for the normal growth and development of your baby'due south brain and skull. Your wellness team will cheque your infant'southward fontanelle during routine visits.
If you lot bear on the peak of your infant's head you can feel a soft spot in between the basic — this is a fontanelle.
A newborn infant's skull is made upward of sections of bone known as plates that are joined together past fibrous joints called sutures. The sutures provide some flexibility and allow your baby's head to narrow slightly as it travels through the nascency canal. The sutures also enable your baby'southward head grow in the first years of life.
There are two fontanelles on your babe's skull. These are the pare-covered gaps where the skull plates meet. The inductive fontanelle is at the top of your baby'due south head, and the posterior fontanelle is located at the back of your babe'due south head.
When will my babe's fontanelle close?
The posterior fontanelle usually closes by the time your infant is 2 months sometime. The anterior fontanelle can close any time between 4 and 26 months of historic period. Around ane in every 2 babies will have a airtight fontanelle by the time they are fourteen months old.
Can I touch my baby's fontanelle?
Yeah, you lot tin gently affect your baby's fontanelle. If you run your fingers softly along your baby'southward head you are tin can probably feel them. Your md will affect your baby's fontanelle as part of their routine medical examination. At that place is no need to exist concerned or worried near touching your infant's fontanelle every bit long equally yous are being gentle.
What does a normal fontanelle await like?
Your baby's fontanelle should feel soft and flat. If yous softly affect the fontanelle, yous may at times feel a slight pulsation — this is normal. If the fontanelle changes, or feels different to how it normally does, show your doctor or midwife as it may be a sign that your baby'south health may demand to exist checked.
Sunken fontanelle
If you observe that your baby'south fontanelle is low or sunken, your baby may exist dehydrated.
Yet, y'all may notice other signs of dehydration in your baby before their fontanelle becomes sunken.
Other signs of aridity include:
- having fewer wet nappies
- not feeding well
- loosing fluids from vomiting or diarrhoea
- perspiration (or sweating) in very hot weather
- being less alarm or floppy
Bulging fontanelle
A bulging or swollen fontanelle may exist a sign of a number of different serious but rare conditions including meningitis or encephalitis (infections in the brain), cognitive haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), hydrocephalus, an abscess or another cause of increased pressure in the brain.
If you retrieve that your baby'due south fontanelle is bulging or sunken seek medical advice immediately.
What if the fontanelle closes too shortly?
Your infant's fontanelle may close early on. This can happen for a number of unlike reasons. Your infant may have hyperthyroidism (high levels of the thyroid hormone) or hyperparathyroidism (loftier levels of parathyroid hormone). Another cause of early fontanelle closure is a condition known as craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis occurs when i or more of the gristly joints (sutures) betwixt the bone plates in a baby'southward skull fuse likewise early, earlier the encephalon has finished growing. Every bit the brain continues to grow, its pushes on the skull from the inside but cannot expand into the closed over expanse. This causes the skull to have an unusual shape.
If you notice that your baby's fontanelle seems to have closed early, if you tin feel a ridge along your baby'southward skull, or if you lot think that your baby's head has an unusual shape, take your baby to meet their GP or paediatrician.
What if the fontanelle doesn't close?
Your baby's fontanelle may not shut on time for a number of reasons. Common reasons for delayed fontanelle closure include congenital hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones from nascency), Down syndrome, increased pressure within the brain, rickets and familial macrocephaly (a genetic trend to have a large head).
If your baby's fontanelle has not closed past the time they are 2 years old, speak to your GP or paediatrician.
If you have any concerns about your baby's fontanelle y'all should make an appointment to see your child health nurse, GP or paediatrician.
Speak to a maternal child health nurse
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.
Source: https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/about-the-fontanelle
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