When does the fontanelle of a newborn close?

For newborn babies, there are generally four fontanelles, of which only two are relatively obvious, namely the anterior fontanelle and the posterior fontanelle. However, it takes a certain amount of time for the fontanelle to close. Some mothers find that their baby's fontanelle closes prematurely. This condition will affect the shape of the baby's head, but will not affect the baby's intelligence. Next, I will introduce to you the normal time for fontanelle closure.

The posterior fontanelle usually closes around 2 to 12 weeks after the baby is born, while the anterior fontanelle will not be completely closed until the baby is 6 to 18 months old. If the baby's fontanelle closes too early, it may affect the shape of the head.

The fontanelle is the gap between adjacent skull bones, while the suture is the joint where adjacent skull bones are closely connected. If the suture fuses too early, the shape of the baby's head will also be seriously affected, which is usually called craniosynostosis. If the fontanelle closes too early and the suture is normal, the baby's head can still maintain a normal posture.

Early closure of the anterior fontanelle does not necessarily mean that the child has problems with brain development. Even if it is closed, the heads of most children are still developing, the head circumference should still increase, and there should be no impact on intelligence.

At present, parents are required to monitor their children's head circumference development and give their children an intellectual development test. If everything is normal, regular monitoring will be sufficient. If you still think there is a problem, you can measure the baby's head circumference regularly. The normal physical development values ​​of a male baby of eight or nine months are: head circumference: (cm) Low value: 42.7, average: 45.2, high value: 47.91. Measure the head circumference regularly and make dynamic observations. If it is really craniosynostosis, it can cause cranial stenosis and deformity, increased intracranial pressure, intellectual development disorders and eye symptoms. The treatment is mainly surgical, the purpose is to expand the cranial cavity, relieve intracranial hypertension, and allow the compressed brain tissue and cranial nerves to develop and grow.

There are two types of surgical treatment: (1) Removal of prematurely closed sutures and selection of new sutures (2) Removal of large pieces of bone to achieve decompression and facilitate brain development. It is recommended that your baby undergo a physical examination.

The above is what I want to introduce to you today about the time of fontanelle closure in newborns. You can learn about it. I hope my sharing will be helpful to you. The closure of the fontanelle of a newborn will not affect the baby's intelligence, so parents don't need to worry too much. If you are worried, just take your baby for regular physical examinations.