2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21
Children's fontanel is a characteristic feature of the structure of the skull of a newborn baby. It is a soft area on the parietal part of the head between parts of the skull. This area does not have bone tissue, but is closed by a strong membrane. The fontanel in infants allows the bones of the skull to contract during childbirth as the baby passes through the birth canal.
What are fontanelles in newborns?
Newborn babies have six fontanelles. The largest is the front, the second largest is the back. There are two more mastoid and two wedge-shaped. Two main fontanelles usually remain open after childbirth: frontal (large) and occipital (small).
Sizes of baby fontanelles
The large fontanel resembles a diamond shape. It is considered normal if its size is in the range of 1-3 centimeters. Most often, such a fontanel in children is 1.7-2.5 centimeters. And at the age of three months, it decreases to 1-1.5 centimeters.
To correctly determine the size of the frontal fontanel, add its longitudinal and transverse diameters and divide the resulting sum by 2. The small fontanelle resembles the shape of a triangle. Its dimensions usually do not exceed 0.7 centimeters. Although most often a child is born already with a closed small fontanel. But do not worry if the size and shape of the fontanel in a child differs from the standard ones. Each child is individual. A pediatrician should be consulted to determine if this is a concern.
Terms for closing fontanelles
Four lateral fontanelles in full-term babies close at birth, in premature babies - in the first few days after birth. The occipital fontanel in infants is completely closed at 2-3 months. But there are no exact deadlines for closing the largest fontanel. It's a very individual process. It can overgrow by 12 months, or maybe at 1, 5 and 2 years. In recent years, thanks to the acceleration of children, the frontal fontanel disappears by 10 months.
What causes the early closure of the frontal fontanel?
Closing of the fontanel before the third month of a baby's life is considered early. Usually this is due to the expectant mother's passion for taking multivitamins and calcium-rich foods, which results in small and fairly dense fontanelles in the child. Therefore, you should follow the norm in taking vitamins according to the duration of pregnancy.
How dangerous is it?
Early closure of the fontanel has a significant effect on the full development of the brain, impeding its normal growth. The danger is that early overgrown
fontanelle can cause serious illness in babies. Very rarely (but there is still a chance) a baby can have one of two diseases:anomaly of brain development and craniosynostosis. These diseases are accompanied by a number of other symptoms. If the child's fontanel closes early, but the circumference of his head is normal, this means that the child is he althy.
What is the reason for the late closure of the fontanel?
Late closure of the frontal fontanel is associated with low levels of calcium in the baby's body. Calcium deficiency limits the intake of vitamin D3. And this leads to a change in bone tissue.
How dangerous is it?
In itself, the late closure of the fontanelle does not indicate danger. It is important to study the accompanying symptoms, as this can also be a dangerous signal.
The most common cause of late closing is rickets. It can also be a signal of Down syndrome, achondrodysplasia and other serious diseases. Even if the fontanel that does not close for a long time in infants does not cause concern, you should consult a specialist.
What else can a fontanel tell about?
There are a few more "signals" that should not be ignored:
- the fontanel in babies sinks - there is not enough fluid in the body;
- for a long time it is "bulging" - increased intracranial pressure;
- increased size - ossification disorder or prematurity.
Recommended:
How to live up to 100 years: methods, conditions, sources of he alth, tips and tricks
People have been looking for a recipe for eternal life since ancient times. But so far, these attempts have not been successful. But many succeeded in finding a recipe for longevity. In eastern countries, as well as in the mountainous regions of Russia, you can meet many centenarians. How to live to 100 years old? Find tips below
He alth groups for pensioners who do not want to grow old
Even at a respectable age, you can and should go in for sports. We offer a set of exercises for pensioners that allows you to maintain youth and he alth
World He alth Days. Activities for World He alth Day
The trend of caring for he alth and longevity in the last decade has turned out to be one of the most noticeable and popular. One of the reasons for this was the fashion for the spiritual development of man, the rejection of an exclusively consumer attitude towards the environment and, of course, the “erasing” of borders between countries and continents. That is why the idea to hold world he alth days belongs to the international organization WHO (World He alth Organization)
2 child he alth group: what does it mean? Algorithm for determining he alth groups in children
You need to understand that the he alth group is the state of he alth of the child and his predisposition to various diseases, as well as the presence of congenital diseases. Children who have minor he alth problems belong to the 2nd he alth group
What is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy: description of the indicator, norm, interpretation of the results of the study
To track all changes and exclude fetal anomalies, its development is monitored using ultrasound. Each time it is necessary to check such basic measurements as BPR, LZR and KTR. What is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy? Biparietal size - the main indicator that displays the width of the fetal head
