How to care for the anterior fontanelle of a newborn

Generally speaking, newborns will have fontanelles to a greater or lesser extent. Under normal circumstances, this phenomenon can gradually improve on its own. However, it should be noted that if this phenomenon has not been alleviated when the child is about one year old, it is very likely that the child has certain diseases. At this time, it is best to take the child to the hospital for a diagnostic examination. If a disease is found, it should be treated as soon as possible.

The fontanelle of a newborn is often considered by the elderly to be a forbidden area that cannot be touched. Is the fontanelle of a newborn so delicate? Let’s first understand the fontanelle of the newborn. The fontanelle of a neonate refers to the situation when the bones are not well developed and the sutures are not completely closed when the baby is born, leaving a diamond-shaped gap in front of the top of the head, which is the anterior fontanelle, also known as the large fontanelle. There is a "human" shaped gap behind the top of the head, which is the posterior fontanelle, also known as the small fontanelle. What the elderly say about not touching the fontanelle of a newborn casually makes sense, and the care of the fontanelle of a newborn must be careful.

Cleaning of the newborn's fontanelle. The newborn's fontanelle is particularly delicate, but the cleaning and care of the fontanelle is often related to the healthy development of the baby, so this must be paid attention to. First of all, the fontanelle of a newborn can be cleaned during bathing. Baby-specific shampoo can be used instead of strong alkaline soap to avoid irritating the scalp and inducing or aggravating eczema. Also, when cleaning, your fingers should be placed flat on the newborn's fontanelle and rubbed gently. You should not press or scratch hard, and you should not scratch the fontanelle with hard objects. If there is dirt on the fontanelle of a newborn that is difficult to wash off, you can first steam it with sesame oil or refined oil and then soak it in it for 2 to 3 hours. After the dirt becomes soft, use a sterile cotton ball to wipe it off in the direction of hair growth.

Under normal circumstances, the fontanelle of a child will close automatically at around 3 months without leaving any sequelae. However, sometimes there will be some abnormal manifestations, such as a bulging fontanelle, or a fontanelle that is too wide, or too narrow. These problems should be taken seriously, with careful examination and active treatment. If the fontanelle is accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting and fever, intensive monitoring and treatment are required.