Fontanelle = Hit Gate? 4 secrets about the baby's fontanelle that most moms don't know

Regarding the baby's fontanelle, parents really have a lot of doubts. For example, a mother in the group, the child is 8 months old, recently had a fever, in addition to the relatively high body temperature, the mother found that the child's fontanelle is also more protruding than usual.

The mother was frightened and quickly took the child to the hospital, and the doctor told her that the baby's bulge in the fontanelle was caused by fever and would not affect the baby. But Bao's mother is still not very relieved, staring at the baby's fontanelle every day to observe, for fear that she has not found anything abnormal, she said that she is about to be stunned.

Many parents will have the same worries as this mother, but most changes in the fontanelle are normal, and mothers don't have to worry too much.

What does a normal fontanelle look like?

After birth, the baby has two fontanelles, anterior and posterior.

The posterior fontanelle closes about 2 months after birth, while the anterior fontanelle closes around 2 years of age.

The fontanelle that everyone usually talks about is usually the front fontanelle of the baby.

Shape:

The baby's anterior fontanelle is close to a diamond-shaped shape in appearance, soft and flat.

When your baby is lying flat, the anterior fontanelle will look fuller than when standing or sitting, and if you touch it lightly, you will feel a slight pulsation on the surface of the fontanelle, because the arteries on the surface of the brain are beating.

Size:

Normally, the width of the anterior fontanelle is usually around 2.5 cm when a baby is born, and as the baby continues to grow, the anterior fontanelle will gradually shrink after 6 months of age until it closes.

Is a large or small fontanelle a developmental problem?

First of all, it should be explained that the size of the baby's fontanelle is not directly related to brain development, and not all body parts that grow on the head can affect the development of the brain.

As long as the baby's head circumference indicators are normal, it is normal for the fontanelle to be larger or smaller.

Unless the anterior fontanelle reaches 4-5 cm after the baby is born, or as the baby grows and develops, the fontanelle does not gradually become smaller, but becomes larger, which may indicate certain diseases, such as congenital hydrocephalus, hypothyroidism, Down syndrome, rickets, etc., but the specific situation still needs to go to the hospital to check and confirm it.

Or the baby's fontanelle is only the size of the fingertips, which may mean that the baby is microcephaly, but it may only be that if the baby's head circumference is within the normal range before the full moon, and the head circumference growth rate is normal every month after the month, even if the fontanelle is smaller, it will not affect the development of the brain.

What is a bulging fontanelle and what conditions do I need to see a doctor?

Babies who have fever, crying, constant coughing, and bulging fontanelles when they have a hard bowel movement are generally normal physiological changes.

Under what circumstances do parents need to take their baby to the hospital for examination?

1. If you feel that the scalp at the fontanelle is bulging and tight, not soft, you need to go to the hospital immediately to find out the cause.

2. If the baby is taking medication for certain diseases, during which the fontanelle protrudes, and at the same time there are symptoms such as irritability, diarrhea, and retching, you need to seek medical attention in time to determine whether it is drug poisoning.

3. Parents who find signs of stunted growth and development of the baby, and the head circumference is larger than normal, or the head circumference has suddenly increased recently, and they also need to go to the hospital immediately.

4. The baby has a fever of more than 3 days, accompanied by irritability, poor mental state, and even projectile vomiting, convulsions, etc., and needs to see a doctor immediately to determine whether it is combined with other lesions.

What is the sunken fontanelle and what conditions do I need to see a doctor?

Your baby's fontanelle may appear bulging and, as well, may appear sunken.

One cause of sunken fontanelles is malnutrition. In this case, the baby will also be accompanied by slow weight gain, or weight loss, parents can consult a child care doctor to adjust the feeding method in time.

Another cause of a sunken baby's fontanelle is dehydration. At this time, parents can judge how to do it according to the degree of severity.

1. The fontanelle is slightly sunken

Usually occurs when your baby gets frequent, has diarrhea or sweats profusely, resulting in mild dehydration. It may be accompanied by slight sunken eye sockets, poor mental status, lethargy, poor skin elasticity, and dry lips.

Parents should replenish water and electrolytes for their babies as soon as possible to observe whether the sunken eye sockets and fontanelles improve.

If your baby continues to vomit or have diarrhea, he or she needs to go to the hospital as soon as possible.

2. Moderate to severe depression of the fontanelle

Moderate and severe depression of the baby's fontanelle is usually accompanied by obvious depression of the eye socket, indicating that the baby is in a state of moderate to severe dehydration and needs to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

At this time, the baby's mental state and skin elasticity are poor, there are no tears when crying, or the baby's urine is very yellow, and at the same time, the frequency of urination is also reduced.

In the above situation, parents need to take the baby to the hospital as soon as possible.

Finally, let's talk about a topic that everyone cares about, can the baby's fontanelle be touched? The answer is that although the fontanelle lacks the protection of the skull, it can still be touched, but not too hard, and it will not become mute when touched as the legend says.