When you hold your precious newborn baby for the very first time, you might feel something surprising on top of their head. As you gently stroke their hair, your fingers may find a soft, pulsing spot where the bone feels like it is missing. If you are a new parent, feeling this spot can make you feel quite nervous.
You might wonder if something is wrong with your baby or if you will accidentally hurt them by touching them. Please do not worry. This soft spot is completely normal and plays a very important role in your baby's healthy growth. Let us walk through everything you need to know about this amazing feature.
Key Takeaways for Parents
- The soft spot, or fontanelle, is a normal, flexible space between skull bones that allows for brain growth.
- Babies usually have two main soft spots: a larger one on top and a smaller one near the back of the head.
- Gentle hair washing, bathing, and everyday cuddling will never hurt or damage these delicate areas.
- A sunken soft spot can be a sign of dehydration. This a bulging soft spot needs immediate emergency care.
- Always talk to your pediatrician during routine baby checkups if you ever feel worried about your child's head shape.
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What Is the Baby Soft Spot Known As a Fontanelle?
Simply put, when a baby is born, the bones of their skull are not fused together into one solid piece. There are small gaps left between these person bone plates, and these gaps are known medically as fontanelles.
There are two primary reasons why babies are born with these wonderful soft gaps:
- To make childbirth easier: As your baby travels down the birth canal during delivery, these flexible gaps allow the skull bones to shift slightly. This clever natural design helps your baby pass through safely without harming their brain or the mother.
- To allow rapid brain growth: During the first year of life, your baby's brain grows at an incredible speed. These flexible spaces give the brain all the room it needs to expand and develop normally.
Normally, your baby will have two main soft spots on their head:
- The front soft spot (Anterior fontanelle): This is the larger, diamond-shaped soft spot located near the top front of the head that most parents notice right away.
- The back soft spot (Posterior fontanelle): This is a much smaller, triangle-shaped spot located near the back of the head. It is often so small that you might barely feel it.
It is important to remember that you should never press down hard or poke at these soft spots. The delicate brain lies right underneath them. However, normal everyday handling, washing your baby's hair, or gently brushing their head is completely safe and will not cause any harm.
What Does It Look Like Normally and When Does It Close?
When you examine your baby's soft spot, you might notice some interesting movements or changes throughout the day. These are entirely normal:
- When your baby cries, coughs, or strains, the soft spot may look slightly puffed out or raised. Once your baby calms down and relaxes, it will return to its usual flat level.
- Sometimes you might see the soft spot pulsing up and down gently in rhythm with your baby's heartbeat. This looks just like a tiny pulse and is completely safe.
- You may also notice subtle movements that match the rhythm of your baby's sucking motions while they feed.
When Do Soft Spots Close?
These gaps do not stay open forever. As your baby grows older and their skull bones grow larger, the gaps close up completely.
- The back soft spot: This smaller spot usually closes up by the time your baby is around 3 months old.
- The front soft spot: This larger spot takes more time to close. It usually finishes closing completely somewhere between 12 to 18 months of age.
Every time you take your baby to see your doctor for regular wellness checkups, the pediatrician will feel and check the fontanelle. This simple exam helps your doctor make sure your baby's head and brain are growing at a healthy pace.
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Check Availability →What Danger Signs Should You Watch For?
While fontanelles are usually completely normal, they can sometimes give you early clues about health problems. Knowing what to watch for helps you keep your baby safe.
Emergency Red Flags: When to Seek Immediate Help
If your baby's soft spot is bulging while they are calm, or if it appears severely sunken along with signs of dehydration, call 911 (US/Canada), 999 (UK), or rush to the nearest Emergency Department (ER / A&E) right away.
| Soft Spot Sign | What It May Mean and What You Should Do |
|---|---|
| Sunken Soft Spot | A deeply depressed or sunken soft spot is often a key sign of dehydration (lack of body fluids). This can happen if your baby has severe vomiting or diarrhea. Check how many wet diapers they have and contact your doctor right away. |
| Bulging Soft Spot | If the soft spot remains raised, tense, or bulging while your baby is quiet and calm, it can indicate increased pressure inside the head or brain swelling. This can result from a recent head injury or infection. This is an emergency. Go to the nearest hospital ER right away. |
In addition, certain medical conditions can cause a fontanelle to appear larger than average during early infancy. Examples include:
- Down syndrome .
- Hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid inside the brain) .
- Premature birth (born early before full term) .
Your pediatrician is trained to spot these conditions during regular exams and will guide you through any specialized care your child might need.
A Rare Condition: Craniosynostosis
Craniosynostosis is a medical term that sounds complicated, but it describes a specific condition. It happens when the fibrous joints between a baby's skull bones fuse together too early before the brain has finished growing.
When this happens, the brain lacks the proper space to expand normally, which can sometimes lead to an unusual or misshapen head. There are several different types of craniosynostosis depending on which part of the skull fuses too early.
| Craniosynostosis Type | How Head Shape Changes |
|---|---|
| Sagittal synostosis | The middle seam running from front to back closes too early, making the head grow long and narrow. |
| Coronal synostosis | The seam running from ear to the top of the head closes on one side, causing that side of the forehead to look flat. |
| Bicoronal synostosis | Seams on both sides of the head close early, causing the skull to look wider and shorter. |
| Lambdoid synostosis | The seam across the back of the head closes early, causing flattening at the back of the skull. |
| Metopic synostosis | The seam from the bridge of the nose to the top of the forehead closes early, giving the forehead a triangular shape. |
Although craniosynostosis is rare, if you ever notice an unusual shape or ridge on your baby's head, the best step is to discuss your observations with your doctor right away.
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