Baby
Soft Spots - When Will My Baby’s Soft Spots Close?
Your baby was born with two noticeable
soft spots, called fontanels, on the top and back of
his head. Your baby’s skull is made up of bones
that connect at the soft spots. The soft spots are made
of a tough membrane which allows your baby’s head
to be flexible. This flexibility is necessary so that
your baby’s head can fit through birth canal.
You may have seen a baby that had a cone shaped head
when he was born. This was a result of his head being
squeezed through the birth canal. Without the soft spots,
baby’s head might get stuck in the birth canal,
but instead his skull compresses to the shape of the
birth canal.
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Why do babies have soft spots?
Babies need a flexible skull, not only to fit through
the birth canal, but also to allow room for growth.
As your baby’s brain grows, his skull needs to
be able to expand. The soft spot on the top of your
newborn’s head may actually get bigger during
his first 2 or 3 months of life to accommodate his rapid
brain growth. After that, it gradually starts to close.
The soft spots also serve another purpose. They keep
your baby’s head from being injured. Babies are
more vulnerable to injuries because they are so small
and are still learning so much. As your baby starts
to roll over, crawl, or sit up, he may fall over or
roll off of something and bump his head. The soft spots
will help cushion his head when he falls and help protect
him from injuries.
Is it okay to touch baby’s soft
spots?
A lot of parents worry about touching baby’s
soft spots. It is okay to touch your baby’s soft
spots just be gentle. His soft spots are composed of
a thick membrane so you won’t injure your baby
just by touching them.
When will my baby’s soft spots
close?
The posterior fontanel, the soft spot on the back of
your baby’s head, will close first. It is the
smaller of the two fontanels so it doesn’t take
as long to close. It normally closes by the time your
baby is 2-4 months old. The anterior fontanel, located
on the top of baby’s head, closes later. The time
frame on when the anterior fontanel will close varies.
On average, it closes at around 18 months but it can
close as early as 9-12 months.
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