A baby’s fontanel is the soft spot on the head which is composed of bony plates. This is a part of the skull that tends to flex during child birth so that it can get through the mother’s birth canal. However, by about 18 -24 months, this soft spot closes. A mother should know that the baby may be suffering from dehydration when his or her fontanel has sunk. On the other hand, the baby may have a medical condition such as increased intracranial pressure if it is bulging.
Most parents worry that their babies may get injured especially on the soft spots on their head. They have to understand that there is a strong membrane that covers the fontanels so it is not that easy for it to be penetrated. Babies who are crying, vomiting or lying down usually have fontanels that may seem to be bulging. When they have been calmed down and held in a head-up position, their fontanels return to its normal appearance. It is important for mothers to know the time that they should seek emergency care like when they observe bulging fontanel that is accompanied by drowsiness.
A baby has several fontanels on his or her skull but parents may see only the most visible ones which is the one on the top of the head and a smaller one which is located at the base of the baby’s skull. Mothers may hesitate to touch the soft spots but they can wash or shampoo it like the rest of the head. They can also brush the hair on it though they have to do it gently. Parents may also touch this area without harming the baby’s brain. They will of course prevent any sharp objects that may get through the fontanels but most parents are really careful about this part of their baby’s head.
The fontanels not only allow the possible passage of the baby’s head at childbirth through the small birth canal but it is also for the growth and the development of the brain especially during the first months of the infant’s life. Mothers may also be able to determine if something is wrong with their babies by checking the appearance of the soft spots. They can bring their babies to their doctors in case they observe signs that include a shrunken or a bulging fontanel. In general, the fontanel indicates something about the physical well-being of the baby.
