Fontanelle in the newborn: everything you need to know about the development of the bones of the baby's skull
The fontanel in the newborn is a space consisting of a flexible membrane that is created at the point where the bones of the baby's skull meet. The head of newborns, in the first months of life, is particularly delicate precisely because the bones of the skull have not yet joined. Here's everything there is to know about drinking fountains, but in the meantime, watch our video on how to wash a newborn:
Fontanelle in the newborn: what is it?
The fontanel in the newborn (or it would be better to speak of fontanelles, since there are more than one) is that soft and flexible space, consisting of a membrane, which is created where two cranial bones cross forming a suture. The closure of the fontanelles on the children's head occurs only when the bones of the skull are joined together, and this makes it particularly delicate. When does the fontanel close? Between the 11th and 18th month of the baby's life.
The fontanelles in the newborn can be from 6 to 8: the two fontanelles of the cranial vault (called anterior fontanelle and superior fontanelle) and the fontanelles at the base of the skull, called sphenoid fontanelles and mastoid fontanelles.
The fontanel in the newborn allows the baby's skull a certain flexibility, useful both at the moment of birth to pass through the birth canal, and after birth, to allow the brain to develop in the best way in the first months of the baby's life. The fontanelles, therefore, are really important in the first year of life of newborns, because they allow their brains to develop in the best way.
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Anterior fontanel and posterior fontanel
Fontanelles in newborns have a variable number, but the main ones (due to their size) are those located on the midline of the skull, i.e. the anterior fontanelle and the posterior fontanelle. The anterior fontanel has a diamond-like shape and is located where the frontal bone and the two parietal bones meet. Immediately after birth, the anterior fontanel in the newborn can be between 0.6 and 3 in size. 6 centimeters When does the anterior fontanel close? It closes around the 18th month of the baby's life.
The posterior fontanel, on the other hand, has a triangular shape and a smaller size than the anterior fontanel. It is located in the back of the head, between the occipital bone and the parietal bones. The closure of this fontanel occurs between the sixth and eighth week of the newborn's life. The size of the posterior fontanel is around 0.5 centimeters.
The head of newborns should be treated with great caution until the fontanelles have closed: even if they are elastic and resistant.You don't have to be afraid to touch his little skull, you just need to treat it with care and delicacy!
Possible alterations in the fontanel in the newborn
The fontanelles must be kept under control with regular pediatric visits until they are completely closed. Care should be taken that the anterior fontanel does not appear lowered when the child has a fever or the external temperature is very high, as this could indicate dehydration.
If the fontanelle appears hard and tense, it is good to go to your pediatrician immediately because it could be a symptom of a pathology. If, on the other hand, it is swollen, it could indicate the presence of great intracranial pressure, to be connected to a possible meningitis: it will be good to seek immediate medical attention if other symptoms such as fever are present.
