Where is the fontanel in children?
It is important to know that this is the site of the cranial vault at the junction of the parietal and frontal bones, which should not be ossified when the baby is born. It is formed by the remains of a thin membrane that connects the bones of the skull. This area is extremely important in childbirth, since it allows you to reduce the volume of the head and change its shape while passing the fetus through the pelvic bones of the mother. In addition, he gives some reserve for advanced growth of the brain.
This area of the baby's head is often pulsating, which can be seen even with the naked eye. That is why in some languages it is also called the "fountain". Do not be afraid of brain injuries through this soft area, because the connective tissue, being soft, is very strong. Through this area, newborns are even given an ultrasound scan of the brain.
When the fontanel is tightened in the child?
Normally, the closure of the fontanel in children should be completed by two years. At this time, the skull bones are constantly growing, changing. In boys, the closure occurs, as a rule, earlier. Pediatrics have developed special tables that indicate the timing of the closure of the fontanel in children and its size. Deviation from the developed norms is not a pathology. Each crumbs this process is individual and depends on:
- the fact of fullness of the fetus (in preterm infants the overgrowth occurs later);
- the degree of growth intensity (this depends on the individual characteristics and quality of nutrition);
- the method of feeding (with breastfeeding, closure occurs earlier than with artificial feeding , since breast milk is balanced and ideal for infants);
- the level of vitamin D3 in the body of the baby, which is responsible for the assimilation of calcium, which takes the main part in the development processes
bones; - heredity (many congenital and genetically determined diseases either slow or speed up the fusion of this site).
What should I do if a little fontanel closes early?
If the closure occurs earlier than it should, or the child was born with overgrown fontanel, then you need:
- reduce the intake of calcium in the body (for example, do not give cottage cheese and yogurt);
- regularly check intracranial pressure;
- to be observed at the pediatrist.