What’s wrong with my child’s bulging anterior fontanelle?

The health of children is a matter of great concern to parents, and the body of a baby is obviously different from that of an adult. Because the body of a baby is not yet fully developed and many bone tissues have not been formed, some abnormal phenomena will appear. For example, the symptom of a bulging anterior fontanelle is a phenomenon that many children have experienced. Let’s take a look at what’s going on with a bulging anterior fontanelle in children?

The fontanelle refers to the gap in the skull formed by the loose connection of the skull bones of infants and young children. There are anterior fontanelle and posterior fontanelle. The posterior fontanelle is close to the occipital part of the head. It is a triangular gap formed by the sutures between the parietal bones and the occipital bones on both sides. The anterior fontanelle is at the top of the head. It is a diamond-shaped gap formed by the sutures between the frontal bones and the parietal bones on both sides.

1. A bulging anterior fontanelle is normally seen in children. It is slightly fuller when the child is lying flat than when the child is standing or sitting. It is also normal for a child to have this condition when crying and coughing hard. It may also occur when a child has a fever because the blood flow throughout the body and the heart rate accelerate, leading to increased blood flow.

2. In addition, if the baby uses large doses of dehydrating agents, the anterior fontanelle will become sunken due to dehydration. In both cases, the baby should be given fluids in time to avoid electrolyte imbalance in the body.

3. The anterior fontanelle of malnourished and thin babies often appears sunken. If you are not sure, it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up and treat it under the guidance of a doctor.

4. The anterior fontanelle is the diamond-shaped cross suture junction in the center of the front half of the infant's head. It is the largest suture intersection on the skull. It is generally about two to four centimeters long and wide in newborns. Because there is no bone here, it feels very soft.

5. When the anterior fontanelle is bulging, you can feel the beating inside the skull with your hand, which reflects the vibration waves of the cerebral arteries. Usually around six months old, the anterior fontanelle starts to get smaller, and by one year old it can hardly be felt, but it will not completely disappear until around two years old.