Sometimes it can bulge slightly (such as when baby cries), and less often, it can appear to be concave, or sunken. It’s okay if it curves inward slightly to the touch. But if the soft spot is significantly sunken, it’s usually a sign that your baby is dehydrated and needs to be given fluids immediately.

What does a dehydrated fontanelle look like?

Sometimes it can bulge slightly (such as when baby cries), and less often, it can appear to be concave, or sunken. It’s okay if it curves inward slightly to the touch. But if the soft spot is significantly sunken, it’s usually a sign that your baby is dehydrated and needs to be given fluids immediately.

What do bulging fontanelles indicate?

This is known as a bulging fontanel and may be a sign of brain swelling or fluid buildup in the brain. A bulging fontanel is an emergency. It can be a sign of pressure rising inside the skull which may result in damage to the baby’s developing brain.

Which fontanelle might indicate dehydration in an infant?

In addition to being the largest, the anterior fontanelle is also the most important clinically. [7] This structure offers insight into the newborn’s state of health, especially hydration and intracranial pressure status. A sunken fontanelle is primarily due to dehydration.

What can cause a baby’s soft spot to swell?

Reasons a child may have bulging fontanelles include:

  • Encephalitis. Swelling (inflammation) of the brain, most often due to infections.
  • Hydrocephalus. A buildup of fluid inside the skull.
  • Increased intracranial pressure.
  • Meningitis. Infection of the membranes covering the brain.

What does bulging fontanelle look like?

A bulging fontanel means that the soft spot looks bigger than usual. The normally soft area may swell up taller than the rest of the skull. The baby’s head may appear to change shape, or the soft spot might look misshapen. Sometimes, the baby’s whole head looks bigger.

How do I know if my baby’s soft spot is bulging?

The fontanelles should feel firm and very slightly curved inward to the touch. A tense or bulging fontanelle occurs when fluid builds up in the brain or the brain swells, causing increased pressure inside the skull. When the infant is crying, lying down, or vomiting, the fontanelles may look like they are bulging.

Can a bulging fontanelle be normal?

When the infant is crying, lying down, or vomiting, the fontanelles may look like they are bulging. However, they should return to normal when the infant is in a calm, head-up position.

Does meningitis cause bulging fontanelle?

Exclusion of meningitis in infants is often very difficult even for an experienced physician as clinical signs are non-specific. Bulging fontanelle in an infant can be a sign of raised intracranial pressure, and exclusion of central nervous system (CNS)infection in a child with fever is paramount.

Does a sunken fontanelle always mean dehydration?

A sunken fontanel, when accompanied by other symptoms, can be a sign of dehydration or malnutrition. Some baby’s fontanels always appear slightly sunken even when they are well. Sometimes, a baby is dehydrated but does not have a sunken fontanel.

Can a baby’s soft spot get bigger?

Fontanelles that are abnormally large may indicate a medical condition. A wide fontanelle occurs when the fontanelle is larger in size than expected for the age of the baby. Slow or incomplete ossification of the skull bones is most often the cause of a wide fontanelle.

How do I know if my baby is dehydrated?

How can I tell if my child is dehydrated?

  1. Dry tongue and dry lips.
  2. No tears when crying.
  3. Fewer than six wet diapers per day (for infants), and no wet diapers or urination for eight hours (in toddlers).
  4. Sunken soft spot on infant’s head.
  5. Sunken eyes.
  6. Dry and wrinkled skin.
  7. Deep, rapid breathing.

Can bulging fontanelle be treated?

A bulging fontanel on a baby may be a sign of a serious problem that requires urgent treatment. Although some relatively harmless conditions may also cause the swelling, it is impossible to determine the cause just from the symptoms, so it is crucial to seek medical care immediately.

What does it mean when your Fontanelle bulge?

However, bulging fontanelle in other situations can be an indication of a pathology. A tense or bulging fontanelle occurs when fluid builds up in the brain or the brain itself swells – in any condition leading to increased pressure inside the skull.

What causes a bulging anterior fontanel and sunken fontanels?

A bulging anterior fontanel can be a result of increased intracranial pressure or intracranial and extracranial tumors, and a sunken fontanel usually is a sign of dehydration. A physical examination helps the physician determine which imaging modality, such as plain films, ultrasonography, computed tomographic scan,…

What is the differential diagnosis of a bulging fontanel?

Tumors also should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a bulging fontanel. Dermoid tumors of the scalp are the most frequent lesions presenting over the anterior fontanel and also may be found over the posterior fontanel.29,30They usually are slow-growing and nontender, and they are twice as common among girls.

What causes a bulging fontanel in the brain?

Some of the most common causes of a bulging fontanel are: encephalitis, which is a brain inflammation caused by a viral or bacterial infection. hydrocephalus, which is excess brain fluid that’s present at birth or occurs from injury or infection.