Posterior Fontanel, Your Baby's Front Soft Spot

When feeling around your baby's head, your baby should have two soft spots. There should be one in the front of your baby's head and then one in the back of your baby's head.

There are a couple of reasons for the soft spot. The first is for the baby to come out of the women's body via the birth canal. That is why the baby has a cone shape. It also gives room for the baby's brain to grow if swelling may occur during birth.

The back soft spot, in medical terms, is called the anterior (back of) fontanel (soft spot covered by a membrane). By the age of 18 weeks this soft spot should be completely closed.

The most useful of the baby's soft spot for you as a parent is the posterior fontanel, or the soft spot on the top of a baby's head. This soft spot last until 18 months and is in a kite shape. Don't be alarmed on how big the soft spot may be. The soft spots can be as large as 2 inches.

Just as you may see the force a nurse may use to get a baby on the mother's nipple, the baby's soft spots are as durable as their faces getting scrunched and necks being slammed. Go on with your daily lives as needed because you do not need to worry about protecting the baby's head with a helmet.

With an introduction to the baby's soft spots, we will look more into the posterior fontanel. The reason for this is that the front soft spot can tell what is medical wrong with the baby for the next 18 months.

Dehydration can be one of the most devastating things that can happen to a baby. The causes of this can be a baby may not be getting fed enough breast milk or formula, failure to thrive, spitting up too much or having some sort of sickness. Dehydration can easily be detected. If a baby's posterior fontanel is indented that is visible with eyesight, a pediatrician should be called. The pediatrician will ask you some questions and may ask you to come in to see him or her. If the baby is peeing and pooping the same as usual there should not be much call for alarm. A person should still call their pediatrician just to make sure.

What will cause the most concern is if the soft spot is actually raised. There are many reasons for this. This could be a sign of meningitis. This is life threatening, especially for a baby. This could also be a start of fluid forming around the brain. If a baby's soft spot is raised, please call a pediatrician to setup an appointment. The sooner treatment is started, the better.

Overall, the posterior fontanel, or baby's front soft spot, is very important to a baby's health. A person can use it to see if their baby is ill or having the correct hydration. If the baby's soft spot is raised or indented, give a pediatrician a call.