What are fontanelles?
When a baby is born, the bones in his head are not yet well-soldered. This is why you can feel soft spaces between the different bones of his skull. This is called fontanelles. These are boneless spaces. These are not holes, however, since tissue connects the bones. There is:
the large fontanelle located forward, on top of the newborn baby’s head. It is shaped like a diamond and it measures about 3 cm to 6 cm wide.
the little fontanelle located in the back of the head. She looks like a small triangle about 1 cm wide.
What are they for?
Fontanelles make it easier for the baby to pass during birth. As these areas are softer, they make the head deform a bit so the baby can get out easier. Rest assured, it does not cause brain damage and the head is gradually getting back to shape. It may take a few hours, a few days or a few weeks.
After birth, fontanelles allow your baby’s brain to develop well. Brain growth is very fast in the first two years. For example, during its first year of life, the baby’s brain doubles in size.
Should I avoid touching my baby’s fontanels?
Fontanelles are tricky, but you can touch them. The important thing is to go gently. When you wash your baby’s hair, for example, you should avoid putting too much pressure on these soft areas, but you can pet his head without any problems. Fontanelles are made up of tissues that protect his brain well.
Is it normal that his big fontanelle is sometimes a bit curved?
Yes, that’s totally normal. Fontanels are flexible so they move with air in the lungs. That’s why the big fontanelle is bombing a bit when your baby screams, coughs or cries. Also, even when your baby is calm, you can see her big fontanelle moving to the beat of her heart or feel her touch.
Preventing the flat head
Since your baby’s skull bones are still flexible, they can change shape if their head is still pressed on the same side. Then she might flatten herself. Here are some tips:
Place your baby in various positions when he’s awake to reduce the risk of developing a flat head.
Don’t always leave him in his car seat or baby seat. You can put it on your stomach once in awhile and use a baby carrier to keep it on you.
When you put him in his bed, make sure his head is not always turned on the same side. To do so, alternate the position you lay it in: head to foot of the bed one evening and on the other side, the next day.
Why does the doctor examine fontanels?
For the first two years, the doctor examines your baby’s head during your medical follow-up visits to ensure that his fontanels normally close.
He also measures his head to check that his brain is following normal growth. Examination of fontanelles can also help the doctor detect certain health problems.
If the baby’s fontanels are lowered and form a hollow, this can be the sign that he is dehydrated. If fontanels are bigger and heavily bombs, this can be a sign of certain diseases. However, these cases are very rare. And watch out, a big skull doesn’t mean there’s a problem.
At what age do fontanelles close?
Over time, the skull bones come together and weld. The little fontanelle in the back of the baby’s head closes the first, around the age of 2 months. The big fontanelle, located at the front of the head, takes longer. It closes little by little between the age of 9 months and 2 years.
To remember
Fontanelles are soft spaces on the baby’s head that disappears when the skull bones join.
You can touch your baby’s fontanels gently.
It’s normal for the fontanelle on the front of the head to swell a little when your baby is crying or screaming.