When does a fontanel overgrow in children?

When does a fontanel overgrow in children?
When does a fontanel overgrow in children?

Video: When does a fontanel overgrow in children?

Video: When does a fontanel overgrow in children?
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Most couples who have just become parents ask the question: "When does a fontanel overgrow in children?" When can you sound the alarm and run to the doctor? Let's talk about it.

when a fontanel overgrows in children
when a fontanel overgrows in children

What is the fontanel, and what effect does it have on the development of the child's brain?

The fontanel is the area on a newborn's head that is not covered by the skull bone. Due to these gaps, the cranial bones can shift during the movement of the child through the birth canal. When a little time passes after birth, the baby's head will return to its normal shape. A large fontanelle is a diamond-shaped gap, which has a size of about three centimeters at the point where the frontal and parietal bones of the newborn converge. As a rule, it closes by the age of one and a half to two years.

When a fontanel overgrows in children: premature and 25% of full-term babies

Such children at birth have an open small fontanel at the very base

child brain development
child brain development

skulls. It usually closes by three and a half months of life. If the dynamics of overgrowth of the fontanel is atypical, then this makes it possible for the pediatrician to identify a serious disease.

What are the functions of the fontanel?

Its main function and task is to ensure that the baby's head passes normally through the birth canal. In the first few years of life, the fontanel is the protection of the child from severe head injuries. Most parents are afraid of damaging it, but this is in vain, since it is protected by a strong film that can hardly be broken. Newborns have 6 fontanelles, four close in the first few days of life, the fifth - somewhere in a couple of months, and the largest - up to one year.

When a fontanel overgrows in children - does it happen at the same time?

Each child's fontanelles have different sizes. It is worth noting that the initial dimensions are in no way related to those that are available when closing. In the first few months of a baby's life, the large fontanel may become larger as the brain develops rapidly. Since each baby's body is strictly individual, the period for which the fontanel overgrows can also be very different. In some children, the fontanel quickly overgrows, that is, by about three months, which is the norm for he althy children. Experts have noticed that in boys this process is a little faster than in girls. In any case, if something is bothering you,

fontanelle grows quickly
fontanelle grows quickly

then you should consult a pediatric neurologist who will conduct an examination and, if necessary, prescribe an ultrasound of the brain.

Is the pulsation dangerous when a fontanel overgrows in children?

Very often mothers believe that the fontanel is"open" place and therefore they are afraid of damaging it. But this fear is greatly exaggerated. Where it is located, the brain is protected by three membranes: fluid-liquor, which acts as a shock absorber, a mesh of tendons, and skin. If the fontanelle pulsates, which can be seen or felt, then this is absolutely normal, just like it swells during a cry or muscle tension.

What does the hollow fontanel mean?

If it looks severely sunken due to an infection, fever, diarrhea or vomiting, it may be a sign of dehydration.

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