Bulging fontanelles in babies: What you need to know

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi My Linh - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

The neonatal fontanelle is divided into two parts: anterior and posterior fontanelles. Although it occupies only a small area of ​​the body, the change of the fontanel reflects the child's body condition. When touching the baby's head for a few months, parents will see a soft spot in the area of ​​the beak, which is slightly undulating, called a bulging fontanelle.

The fontanelle is also known as the "door of the head" where the bone on the top of the baby's head has not yet closed. The fontanel is divided into two parts: “anterior fontanel” and “posterior fontanel”. The anterior fontanelle is the rhomboid gap between the parietal and frontal bones, and the posterior fontanelle is the triangular gap between the parietal and occipital bones.
The anterior fontanel has the characteristic of constant change. The first day after birth, the size varies from 0.6 - 3.6cm, the average is 2.1cm. The fontanelles of near-term and full-term infants are similar.
The fontanelle is almost closed after birth or is as small as the tip of a fingernail, it closes very soon, usually after 4 months of being closed.
The fontanel is no longer palpable when closed, the average fontanel closure time is nearly 14 months. Usually, until 3 months after birth, the anterior fontanel has a closure rate of 1%. By 12 months, this rate will be 38.8% and by 24 months, 96% of children have closed fontanelle.

The function of the fontanelle:
The system of fontanelles and elastic seams between the bones of the skull perform an extremely important function: to protect the baby's brain against external pressure. When the baby's head came out from the mother, it was squeezed tightly. If there are no elastic gaps, the baby will be in pain. Furthermore, bleeding in the brain, eye area and periosteum may occur. In the early stages of life, babies tend to be injured a lot, especially when they begin to learn to roll, crawl or stand – prone to falls and head injuries. The fontanel acts as a cushion in the event of a fall and protects the child from brain injury.

The phenomenon of bulging fontanelle in newborns can be caused by:
Because the fontanelle in the baby's brain is temporarily not filled with bone. The fontanelle is protected by 3 layers, between these layers there is still a fluid that acts as a shock absorber for the child. It is this fluid that makes the mother feel the baby's fontanel rise and fall when touched. The fontanel bulges due to the child having a wide fontanelle. When the child has a wide fontanelle, the mother should pay attention because it is likely that this phenomenon of the child is related to a certain disease such as rickets, meningitis, meningitis ...

Newborn fontanelle may be due to physiology or may be related to a certain disease. Therefore, in order to limit the above conditions for children, mothers need to pay attention to the signs to quickly detect diseases and soon take the children to medical centers for examination and treatment. As a key area of ​​Vinmec Medical system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: including leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All are well-trained, professional, with a mind - range, understanding young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Specialist I Nguyen Thi My Linh has 12 years of experience in diagnosing and treating pediatric diseases, especially neonatal resuscitation and neonatal treatment. In addition, the doctor has strengths in the field of breastfeeding counseling as well as examination, counseling and nutritional intervention in children.