Why do babies have fontanelles?

The fontanelle is actually a window in the skull of a newborn. It is located in the middle of the baby's head. Generally, the fontanelle can be seen beating because the bones of newborns are not closed. However, as the newborn grows, it will gradually close after six months.

1. What is the halogen door?

The fontanelle is correctly called the fontanelle or the forehead fontanelle. Some people also call it the top of the head. The fontanelle is equivalent to the window of the newborn's skull. It is located in the middle of the top of the baby's head. The bones of a newborn baby have not yet closed and are usually soft. If you observe carefully, you can see the fontanelle beating with weak breathing. Therefore, the fontanelle is very weak at this time and is particularly vulnerable to injury.

2. There are several types of halogen doors

The human skull is composed of 6 bones. After the baby is born, the skull has not yet fully developed, so there are gaps between the bones, and two areas without bone coverage are formed at the top of the head and the back of the occipital bone, which are called the anterior fontanelle and posterior fontanelle respectively.

Anterior fontanelle. If you touch the baby along the midline of the top of the head, you will find that the baby's skull has an opening in the front and back. They feel soft. The front end is called the anterior fontanelle and is diamond-shaped. It is the largest bone suture intersection on the skull. Because there is no bone here, it is slightly sunken and softer than other parts, and it pulsates slightly when touched. 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, no later than 18 months.

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, and closes about 2-4 months after birth.

3. Special care for the fontanelle of newborns

Because the fontanelle of a newborn is relatively soft and has no skull to protect it, it requires special protection during care to avoid brain damage. Newborns can be washed after a period of time, but not casually. The movements must be slow and gentle, and you cannot scratch and scratch like adults when washing their hair.

When washing your hair, do not use water that is too hot; warm water is enough. Your baby's skin is delicate, so do not use irritating soaps. Some babies may have some yellow-brown greasy scales on the front of their scalp. You should first apply some vegetable oil on them with sterilized cotton and then wipe them off after they soften. Be gentle during the whole process.