Fontanel Came to Mind: What You Need to Know
If babies suffer from a lack of fluid, this can be recognized, among other things, by a collapsed fontanel. What abnormalities the skull gaps in babies can still have and when you should go to the doctor with your child, we explain here.
Fontanel sunken: signs of dehydration
In newborns, the bones of the skull are not yet firmly connected to each other. These gaps in the skullcap are calledfontanelles. At birth, the baby has a total of six such gaps:
- two anterior and two posterior side fontanelles,
- a small, triangular fontanel at the back of the head and
- a large, diamond-shaped fontanel at the top of the head.
- In trisomy 21, there is another gap between the large and small fontanel.
The small fontanel at the back of the head closes after about two months. In the case of the lateral fontanelles, the skull sutures close after about a year. The large fontanel on the upper head closes in most cases between the 9th and 18th month of life.
Changes are most likely to be seen in this large fontanel. If it has fallen in, this is a sign that your baby is running out of fluid. You should compensate for this lack of fluid immediately by giving your baby something to drink. If this does not work sufficiently, for example because your child suffers fromdiarrhoea, please consult a doctor immediately.
Other abnormalities of the fontanel
In addition to a sunken fontanel, the skull gap may have other abnormalities.
- Strong pulsation: Since a fontanel is a gap in the skullcap, a slight pulsation is completely normal. However, if you find this pulsation too strong, please also consult a doctor immediately.
- Fontanelle bulging: If the fontanel bulges outwards, this indicates too high pressure in the skull. This can be caused by inflammation. Even in a so-called hydrocephalus, the fontanel bulges outwards. Such hydrocephalus can, for example, be the resultof a herpes infection during pregnancy. Sometimes the fontanel is not arched in inflammation, but onlyvery tight and tense. In any case, an immediate visit to the doctor is necessary.
- Fontanelle closes too soon: The fontanelles allow your child to survive the birth unscathed through the narrow birth canal. The skull is malleable through the gaps. In addition, the skull can grow sufficiently quickly through the gaps. If the fontanelles – especially the large fontanelle – close too early, the skull cannot grow evenly. During the regular examinations of your baby, your pediatrician will therefore also pay attention to the fontanelles.