How many bones make up a newborn’s skull?
A- 8
B- 4
C- 6
D- 5
Correct Response: D
The typical newborns skull will consist of two frontal bones, two parietal bones, and an occipital bone for 5 total bones. Sutures divide these bones and there are 6 fontanelles, or soft spots, where the sutures intersect one another.
---------------------------------
The head of the newborn: characteristics and care
The head of the newborn baby has characteristics that it is important to know to take care of it and also, not to worry.
All newborn babies have soft areas called fontanelles in their heads, of which two can be perceived just by passing the hand:
- The anterior fontanelle (also known as “mollera”), which is located at the top of the head, is the largest, has a diamond shape and can measure between 2 and 7.5 cm wide.
- The posterior fontanelle, which is at the back of its head, has a triangle shape, is smaller and usually less noticeable.
- And the two sides, located just behind the ears and can not be felt.
These soft spaces in the skull of the newborn are absolutely normal and allow your brain to grow faster than the bones grow during the first year, in addition to allowing - during a vaginal delivery - that the head is molded to pass through The birth canal
Many parents may feel fear or impression when touching these soft areas or fear of being hit, but although they do not have a bone layer, they are well protected since the membrane that covers them is hard and difficult to penetrate, so much so that In some cases many parents may think that they have already closed.
It is also possible to perceive that the upper fontanel “beats”. This movement is very normal and reflects the heartbeat.
The fontanelles disappear as the skull bones close. The posterior and lateral disappear around 6 months and the previous one, and larger, between 12 and 18 months.
At each medical check-up the pediatrician will be in charge of controlling them and measuring the circumference of the baby's head to ensure that their growth is normal.
Cares:
Head care is very important because the newborn does not have enough strength in the neck to support it by himself, because the muscles of this part of the body are not yet fully developed. Then, when lifting it, you have to hold your head and neck so that it does not fall to the side or back.
Sudden movements or shaking should be avoided because they can cause injury to the baby's head.
The shape of the head after delivery:
Babies' skull has soft bony plates with the ability to compress or overlap in order to pass through the narrow birth canal.
For this reason, if the baby was born by a vaginal delivery, his head may be deformed (elongated, oval or cone-shaped) since during the labor the skull bones are molded and partially overlapped to pass through the canal.
This form, which can sometimes be shocking, disappears throughout the first days of life, when the bones of the skull are rounded.
The head of babies born by caesarean section or in a breech birth - in which the buttocks or feet come out first - usually have no changes and are rounded.
Bruises and swelling in the newborn's head:
Immediately after a vaginal delivery, it is common for some inflammation or bruising of the baby's scalp due to the descent through the birth canal.
In general, inflammation is most noticeable in the upper back of the head and is medically called "caput" (summary form of caput succedaneum).
When bruises occur on the baby's head during childbirth, the result may be a softer area, which is known as cephalohematoma.
Both inflammation and bruises are usually harmless and disappear on their own during the first days or weeks of life, but they can determine that the baby has more pronounced jaundice in the first week of life.
Plagiocephaly or flat head:
Another characteristic that the head of the newborn baby can present is a positional deformation, also a product of the softness of his skull. The part of the head that always rests on the mattress when the baby sleeps can be flattened, and this is called plagiocephaly.
This deformation does not cause any damage to brain or developmental functions since it is something external and is usually resolved naturally.
As when sleeping, the baby should always be on his back, to prevent plagiocephaly, try to put him to bed by alternating the side on which his head rests: always lying on his back, but one day with his head resting on his right side and day Next on your left side. When he is awake we can place flashy or mobile toys on one side and also talk to him on that side so that he turns his head towards what catches his attention.
A- 8
B- 4
C- 6
D- 5
Correct Response: D
The typical newborns skull will consist of two frontal bones, two parietal bones, and an occipital bone for 5 total bones. Sutures divide these bones and there are 6 fontanelles, or soft spots, where the sutures intersect one another.
---------------------------------
The head of the newborn: characteristics and care
The head of the newborn baby has characteristics that it is important to know to take care of it and also, not to worry.
All newborn babies have soft areas called fontanelles in their heads, of which two can be perceived just by passing the hand:
- The anterior fontanelle (also known as “mollera”), which is located at the top of the head, is the largest, has a diamond shape and can measure between 2 and 7.5 cm wide.
- The posterior fontanelle, which is at the back of its head, has a triangle shape, is smaller and usually less noticeable.
- And the two sides, located just behind the ears and can not be felt.
These soft spaces in the skull of the newborn are absolutely normal and allow your brain to grow faster than the bones grow during the first year, in addition to allowing - during a vaginal delivery - that the head is molded to pass through The birth canal
Many parents may feel fear or impression when touching these soft areas or fear of being hit, but although they do not have a bone layer, they are well protected since the membrane that covers them is hard and difficult to penetrate, so much so that In some cases many parents may think that they have already closed.
It is also possible to perceive that the upper fontanel “beats”. This movement is very normal and reflects the heartbeat.
The fontanelles disappear as the skull bones close. The posterior and lateral disappear around 6 months and the previous one, and larger, between 12 and 18 months.
At each medical check-up the pediatrician will be in charge of controlling them and measuring the circumference of the baby's head to ensure that their growth is normal.
Cares:
Head care is very important because the newborn does not have enough strength in the neck to support it by himself, because the muscles of this part of the body are not yet fully developed. Then, when lifting it, you have to hold your head and neck so that it does not fall to the side or back.
Sudden movements or shaking should be avoided because they can cause injury to the baby's head.
The shape of the head after delivery:
Babies' skull has soft bony plates with the ability to compress or overlap in order to pass through the narrow birth canal.
For this reason, if the baby was born by a vaginal delivery, his head may be deformed (elongated, oval or cone-shaped) since during the labor the skull bones are molded and partially overlapped to pass through the canal.
This form, which can sometimes be shocking, disappears throughout the first days of life, when the bones of the skull are rounded.
The head of babies born by caesarean section or in a breech birth - in which the buttocks or feet come out first - usually have no changes and are rounded.
Bruises and swelling in the newborn's head:
Immediately after a vaginal delivery, it is common for some inflammation or bruising of the baby's scalp due to the descent through the birth canal.
In general, inflammation is most noticeable in the upper back of the head and is medically called "caput" (summary form of caput succedaneum).
When bruises occur on the baby's head during childbirth, the result may be a softer area, which is known as cephalohematoma.
Both inflammation and bruises are usually harmless and disappear on their own during the first days or weeks of life, but they can determine that the baby has more pronounced jaundice in the first week of life.
Plagiocephaly or flat head:
Another characteristic that the head of the newborn baby can present is a positional deformation, also a product of the softness of his skull. The part of the head that always rests on the mattress when the baby sleeps can be flattened, and this is called plagiocephaly.
This deformation does not cause any damage to brain or developmental functions since it is something external and is usually resolved naturally.
As when sleeping, the baby should always be on his back, to prevent plagiocephaly, try to put him to bed by alternating the side on which his head rests: always lying on his back, but one day with his head resting on his right side and day Next on your left side. When he is awake we can place flashy or mobile toys on one side and also talk to him on that side so that he turns his head towards what catches his attention.
Problems in the fontanelles:
A premature closure of the cranial bones (which is very rare) may indicate a condition known as craniosynostosis. While its causes are unknown, it could have to do with genetic reasons. In these cases, the baby's head has an abnormal shape and, depending on the diagnosis, the doctor may opt for surgery to allow the brain to continue growing.
More sunken or swollen fontanelles may be a symptom of dehydration or meningitis. In both cases it is important to immediately consult the doctor.
Changes in baby's hair:
At birth, the baby's head is covered with hair (some are born with more, others with less or almost nothing), which helps keep the temperature, and it is normal for this hair to fall out of parts to be replaced later by new one.
This is because the hair they bring from the belly usually becomes very thin, and as it falls it is being replaced by a stronger one, which is the “definitive one”.
Both the color and characteristics of the newborn's hair may vary as it grows.
Labels
Nursing questions