Is the sunken head of a newborn a fontanel?

After every baby is born, there will be a concave area above the vortex on the top of the baby's head. This concave area will bounce back and forth. Try not to touch it with your hands. Do not let any sharp objects touch this part when holding the baby, because this is the most important fontanelle in the human body, which goes directly to the whole body and spinal cord. The fontanelle needs careful care and will be completely closed when the baby is one and a half years old.

What happens if there is a dent on the baby's head?

After a baby is born, there is a concave part on the top of the head, called the fontanelle. The fontanelle is caused by the fact that the bones have not yet developed well and the bone sutures have not yet completely closed when the baby is born. When the body loses more water, the cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles will also decrease, the pressure will decrease, and the fontanelle will become noticeably sunken. If an infant develops this symptom after vomiting or diarrhea, it means that the body is already moderately dehydrated and needs to be replenished with water in time. Extremely thin babies who are severely malnourished due to improper feeding may also have a sunken fontanelle. At this time, they need to strengthen their nutrition and feed them properly. A very small number of babies have small heads due to poor brain development due to maternal infection during embryogenesis or other diseases. The head circumference is small at birth, and the fontanelle closes prematurely 5-6 months after birth, resulting in microcephaly; the head is small and pointed, the forehead is narrow, the nose bridge is sunken, the lower jaw is small and retracted, and there is also intellectual disability. In children with cretinism caused by hypothyroidism, the fontanelle will also take time to close.

2. When will the depression on the baby's head close?

Under normal circumstances, the posterior fontanelle is very small or closed when the baby is born, only large enough to accommodate a fingertip, and closes at the latest 6 to 8 weeks after birth. The oblique diameter of the anterior fontanelle is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 cm at birth. After birth, as the head develops, the head circumference gradually increases and the anterior fontanelle also increases. Six months after birth, the skull gradually becomes smaller as it ossifies and usually closes between one and a half years old. A very small number of babies have poor brain development and a small head due to maternal infection during embryogenesis or other diseases. Their head circumference is small at birth and the anterior fontanelle closes prematurely 5 to 6 months after birth, causing microcephaly. Babies grow very rapidly during infancy, and their bone development requires vitamin D and calcium. If they are not supplemented in time, they are prone to rickets.