What do you call the baby's soft spot in the skull?

An infant is born with two major soft spots on the top of the head called fontanels. These soft spots are spaces between the bones of the skull where bone formation isn't complete. This allows the skull to be molded during birth.

1. What happens if you touch the soft spot on a baby's head?
2. What happens if Fontanelle doesn't close?
3. At what age does the fontanel close?
4. Can you hurt a baby by pushing on their soft spot?
5. What is Metopic Ridge?
6. Can a fontanelle get bigger?
7. What is Bregma?
8. Which fontanel is the last to close?
9. Do fontanelles become sutures?
10. What happens if you drop a newborn?
11. Why is there a dent in my baby's head?
12. What does a sunken Fontanel look like?
13. What is coronal craniosynostosis?
14. What is a cranial ridge?
15. What is frontal bossing?

What happens if you touch the soft spot on a baby's head?

Can I hurt my baby's brain if I touch the soft spot? Many parents worry that their baby will be injured if the soft spot is touched or brushed over. The fontanel is covered by a thick, tough membrane which protects the brain. There is absolutely no danger of damaging your baby with normal handling.

What happens if Fontanelle doesn't close?

Soft spot that doesn't close

If the soft spot stays big or doesn't close after about a year, it is sometimes a sign of a genetic condition such as congenital hypothyroidism.

At what age does the fontanel close?

The posterior fontanelle usually closes by age 1 or 2 months. It may already be closed at birth. The anterior fontanelle usually closes sometime between 9 months and 18 months.

Can you hurt a baby by pushing on their soft spot?

A baby's soft spots are called fontanelles. They allow your baby's brain to grow larger at a fast rate over their first year of life. It's important to avoid pressing into their soft spots, as it could cause damage to their skull or brain.

What is Metopic Ridge?

A metopic ridge is a ridge of bone or suture line on the forehead between the two halves of the frontal bone. The ridging is caused when the two halves close prematurely. The physical landmarks of the human face are very similar from one face to another.

Can a fontanelle get bigger?

Fontanelles that are abnormally large may indicate a medical condition. A wide fontanelle occurs when the fontanelle is larger in size than expected for the age of the baby. Slow or incomplete ossification of the skull bones is most often the cause of a wide fontanelle.

What is Bregma?

Definition of bregma

: the point of junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures of the skull.

Which fontanel is the last to close?

In humans, the sequence of fontanelle closure is as follows: 1) posterior fontanelle generally closes 2-3 months after birth, 2) sphenoidal fontanelle is the next to close around 6 months after birth, 3) mastoid fontanelle closes next from 6-18 months after birth, and 4) the anterior fontanelle is generally the last to ...

Do fontanelles become sutures?

Joints made of strong, fibrous tissue (cranial sutures) hold the bones of your baby's skull together. The sutures meet at the fontanels, the soft spots on your baby's head. The sutures remain flexible during infancy, allowing the skull to expand as the brain grows.

What happens if you drop a newborn?

The real danger occurs when a baby falls onto a hard surface from a height of 3 to 5 feet or more. Broken limbs, retinal hemorrhages, skull fractures, brain damage or swelling, and internal bleeding are among the most severe risks associated with a serious fall.

Why is there a dent in my baby's head?

Sometimes babies are born with an indentation in their skull. These indentations can be caused by the birth process or by the way the baby was positioned in their mother's womb. If the bones in a baby's skull fuse prematurely, the baby's head may appear dented or misshapen — a condition called craniosynostosis.

What does a sunken Fontanel look like?

The one on the top of the head remains present until your baby is between 7 and 19 months old. A baby's soft spots should be relatively firm and curve ever so slightly inward. A soft spot with a noticeable inward curve is known as a sunken fontanel.

What is coronal craniosynostosis?

Coronal synostosis is one type of craniosynostosis affecting the shape of the front of the head. The term craniosynostosis refers to the premature fusion of the bones of an infant's head. The skilled surgeons of St. Louis Children's Hospital treat coronal synostosis and all other types of craniosynostosis in infants.

What is a cranial ridge?

The cranial ridges, also referred to as exo-cranial ridges or cranial plates are bony plates on the surface of the forehead on many humanoid species. Some species, such as Humans, Vulcans, and the ancient humanoids do not possess visible cranial ridges.

What is frontal bossing?

Frontal bossing is an unusually prominent forehead. It is sometimes associated with a heavier than normal brow ridge. Frontal bossing is the descriptive term for a prominent forehead. Sometimes the brow (just above the eyes) is also heavier than normal as seen in acromegaly.