Fontanelle closure affects children's intellectual development

Since the skull of every newborn baby is not fully developed, two parts without bone coverage will be formed, namely the anterior fontanelle and the posterior fontanelle. The fontanelle helps the baby to be born smoothly and reserves space for head development. It is also a window to peek into the baby's health. They usually close within 2-4 months after the baby is born. Parents should have a certain understanding of this so that they can better help the baby grow up healthily.

1. Medical explanation of fontanelle

The human skull is composed of six bones. The skull of a young baby is not fully developed yet, and there are gaps between the bones. Two areas not covered by bones are formed at the top of the head and the back of the occipital bone, which are called the anterior fontanelle and the posterior fontanelle respectively. The surface of the fontanelle is the scalp, and underneath it is the meninges. Place your finger lightly on the fontanelle and you can feel the beat. That is because the cerebrospinal pressure changes with the heart beat and blood pressure, which is consistent with the pulse. When a normal baby is sitting, the fontanelle is slightly sunken.

2. Anterior fontanelle

If you touch forward along the midline of the baby's head, you will find an opening in the baby's skull that feels soft. This is the anterior fontanelle. There is no bone in this area. It is slightly sunken and softer than other parts, and it pulsates slightly when touched.

How long does it take to close : Six months after the baby is born, the anterior fontanelle becomes smaller as the skull sutures gradually ossify. It closes and is replaced by bone by the baby's one year old, and no later than 18 months.

3. Posterior fontanelle

The posterior fontanelle is located at the back of the baby's head, at the intersection of the suture between the occipital bone and the two parietal bones. It is small and sometimes even difficult to feel. The posterior fontanelle is almost closed when the baby is born, or can only accommodate the tip of a finger.

How long does it take to close : It closes about 2-4 months after birth.

4. What is the function of the fontanelle?

1. Help the baby to be born smoothly

When the baby is born, the skull that has not yet closed is squeezed and the edges overlap, which reduces the size of the fetal head and helps the baby pass smoothly through the mother's narrow birth canal.

2. Leave space for head development

A baby's brain develops very quickly and grows in size rapidly. By the age of one, the brain weighs more than twice what it did at birth. However, the brain continues to grow within the cranial cavity. If the volume of the cranial cavity is fixed, then brain development will inevitably be restricted. At this time, the existence of the fontanelle reserves space for brain development.

3. A window into your baby’s health

The early or late closure of the fontanelle can reflect the development of the skull. After the baby is born, the mother can also understand the baby's health status through changes in the fontanelle.

Warning 1: Shortly after birth, the fontanelle reaches 4 to 5 centimeters, which is considered to be too large, and often indicates that the baby may suffer from congenital hydrocephalus or congenital rickets.

Warning 2: If the fontanelle is too small, you should be alert to whether it is caused by microcephaly.

Warning 3: If the fontanelle closes before the baby is 1 year old, it is called premature fontanelle closure, which may be caused by congenital skull development disorder.

Warning 4: If the fontanelle has not closed after one and a half years old, it is called late closure of the fontanelle, which often indicates that the baby may suffer from rickets, cretinism, etc.

Warning 5 Under normal circumstances, the fontanelle should be flat or slightly concave. If the fontanelle continues to bulge significantly, it is abnormal. Intracranial infection, hemorrhage, and tumors will all have this symptom. The baby is often accompanied by fever, vomiting, screaming, convulsions or coma, irregular breathing rhythm or respiratory arrest, etc.