If a baby's fontanelle pulsates - what does it mean

Essentially, it is the joint between the bones of the skull thathelps the baby pass through the birth canal and not get injured. It is covered with a thin membrane. Parents may periodically notice that this place on the baby's head pulsates. This is a normal and natural phenomenon.pulsating fontanel at the breastThe fontanelle in a baby pulsates more strongly during crying or physical activity Photo: Getty Why pulsating movements occur:

  • The septum moves to the beat of the heart, when blood flows to the brain.
  • Another cause is the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid under the action of blood vessel pulsations.
  • Both of these phenomena do not require treatment and will notdisturb after the fontanelle has closed. Its vibrations are most noticeable in the first months of the baby's life. You can put your hand to this place at any time and feel them. The movements intensify and become visually noticeable during and after the baby's crying, during physical activity.

    When to call a doctor

    The fontanelle can also tell about health problems. What to do in such cases? You need to urgently visit a pediatrician if you observe the following:

    • Sinking inward. This may indicate dehydration and occurs in extreme heat or with digestive disorders - diarrhea and vomiting.
    • Protrusion of the septum above the bone.This may indicate serious illnesses - meningitis, tumor formation, hydrocephalus. The child may have high intracranial pressure. Convulsions may be an accompanying symptom.
    • Uneven, intermittent pulsation indicates problems of the cardiovascular system. It is necessary to pass an examination of the cardiologist and make ultrasound to exclude the variant of congenital heart defects.
    • Also worth doing and with too intense pulsation, when the child is at rest. This is also a sign of a malfunction in the work of the heart.

    Until the fontanelle has closed, doctors often usesuch a possibility as ultrasound of the brain. It is so easy to check for neurological or physiological pathologies. After overgrowing, such a procedure becomes impossible.

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