When do infants soft spots close

The good news is that these soft spots are simple to care for and typically go away by the time your child is 2 years old. Babies are born with a few soft spots on their head, known as fontanels.

The largest one is called the anterior fontanel, which is diamond-shaped and is on the top of the head. Fontanels are open areas of the skull that have yet to fuse and join together. The anterior fontanel is the last of the fontanels to close. This process starts when your baby is around 6 months old, but it can take until they are 2 years old for it to close completely.

Find out some of the essentials for looking after your newborn. Find out when your baby will need to have health checkups and immunisations. There is also lots of information on nappies, giving your baby a bath and teeth development. Excessive crying could be a sign that your baby has colic.

Everyone agrees that colic exists but no one knows what causes it. Some doctors think it's a kind of stomach cramp. Read more on healthdirect website. Colic is a pattern of unexplained, excessive crying in an otherwise healthy and well-fed baby and happens to 1 in 5 Australian babies. Read more on myDr website. New parents often worry that they don't know what to do. However, there are practical ways to deal with the challenges so you can enjoy your baby more. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering.

Video call. This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes. The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

For more information, please visit the links below:. You are welcome to continue browsing this site with this browser. Some features, tools or interaction may not work correctly. Sunken fontanelles can be a sign of dehydration. If you do notice that your baby has a sunken fontanelle, you should just take notice and think about whether your baby has had enough fluid, particularly in hot weather.

However, while a sunken fontanelle can occur when your baby is severely dehydrated, there are many other signs of dehydration that happen before a fontanelle becomes sunken, such as fewer wet nappies and being less alert and responsive. This can also sometimes happen if your baby is not feeding well, has diarrhoea, or is vomiting and not taking in enough fluid.

If these are the case, take your baby to the doctor. So, a sunken soft spot is an indicator of concern but not a concern in its own right. Bulging Fontanelles can indicate serious illness. The bulge can be a sign of brain swelling and so is considered to be a medical emergency. Common medical causes of a bulging soft spot are brain inflammation encephalitis caused by a viral or bacterial infection; hydrocephalus which is excess fluid within the brain or skull and can be present at birth or develop in the early weeks; meningitis , which is the inflammation of brain or spinal cord tissue as a result of a viral or bacterial infection.

These are the main concerns but there are also several other causes of swelling of the fontanelle and all should be investigated urgently.