My baby is 2 months old... her pediatrician noticed her soft spot is smaller than normal. Concerned????

Answer 1

yes, get a second opinion

Answer 2

Your doctor is probably concerned about craniosynostosis. This is a birth defect of the brain characterized by the premature closure of one or more of the fibrous joints between the bones of the skull (called the cranial sutures) before brain growth is complete. This is a very serious condition and my daughter was tested for it at 10 months. By the time she was 10 months, she had no soft spot left, and a ridge than ran the length of her head. After a cat scan, it turns out that she was fine, and did not have the condition. I would insist on seeing a specialist or at least having some x-rays done. If your doctor thinks your baby has this condition, I would still get a second opinion. No one wants to have their baby cut on if it can be avoided. I will attach a few links, but I would suggest searching online and getting all the info you can. The best weapon against any illness is knowledge. I wish you the best of luck and you are in my prayers.

Answer 3

When I had my son, his soft spot was very much smaller then what it should have been, basically it was closing up faster then normal. I was terrified, just as I am sure you are too. They sent my son to a neurologist and they did tests on his brain. It all came back normal, but my pediatrician said that I should get a surgery done on his skull, in which they would open up his skull and make his soft spot to thee normal size. He would then have to wear a helmet that looked just like a football helmet until it formed right (about 8 months) I refused the surgery and today my son is a very happy 9 year old in the fourth grade on a 8th grade level in all subjects. I will keep you in my prayers though hun, good luck :)

Answer 4

Not to worry you because the chances that there is actually a problem is very slim. A similar thing happened to my daughter. Her soft spot closed way before normal. This could cause a condition called craniosyntosis which could require surgery so the brain has more room to grow in the skull. They will start out by taking an x-ray of your daughters head and then most likely will send you in for a catscan to rule the condition out. My daughters test results turned out just fine. Just do a yahoo search for craniosyntosis so you can read up about it so you are prepared with information to ask questions to your baby's dr. Im sure it will all turn out to be just fine.

Answer 5

Soft Spots
Dr. Greene, at what age does the soft spot on the top of a baby’s head close?


A wall of bone protects your baby's brain; but at the “soft spot,” only soft, squishy tissue separates the brain from the traumas of the outside world. The soft spot seems so vulnerable. I've spoken with mothers who had never touched their babies’ soft spots -- they were afraid they would put their fingers through it.

The medical word for soft spot is fontanel. Fontanels are examples of the amazing design of the human body. At birth, there are six fontanels, but only two are noticeable (the largest, up on top, is the anterior fontanel). The loose connections of the skull bones that intersect in the soft spots make labor and delivery possible. Without this flexible anatomy, either human babies would have to have smaller brains, or human mothers would have to have wider hips!

The value of the soft spot isn’t gone when you first hold your baby in your arms. Far from making the baby more vulnerable, the soft spot protects a baby from injury. Although the spot is soft, it actually consists of a surprisingly tough fibrous membrane. True, it can make some rare accidents more dangerous (direct penetrating trauma to that spot), but for the common falls experienced by all babies, the soft spot cushions and protects -- making the skull function rather like a football helmet.

Every week, frantic parents rush into my office after their babies have fallen off a bed, table, or highchair. It happens so quickly, babies can fall even with careful and attentive parents -- it's even happened to me, but don't tell :^). When babies fall, they usually land head first, since their centers of gravity are in their heads (adults’ centers of gravity are in our bottoms). The head hits the floor with a terrible, ripe-melon-like “thwunk.” Thanks to the cushioning of the soft spot, most of these head injuries are minor.

At birth, babies’ soft spots come in a very wide range of sizes. If the anterior fontanel is small, it will usually enlarge over the first several months. Conversely, large ones tend to get smaller. By the time a baby is 2 months old, the anterior fontanel is usually about 1 x 1 1/2 inches. The anterior fontanel is usually the last fontanel to disappear.

The average time for the anterior fontanel to close is 18 months, but the timing varies widely. As early as 9 to 12 months is considered normal.


For most kids, the anterior fontanel closes not long after they get steady on their feet (at 9 to 18 months). It stays open just long enough to protect them as they stumble their way toward walking on their own. How quickly it all goes!

Answer 6

My first son had no soft spot so therefore came out via C-section. I wouldn't be concerned. Sounds like great bone growth! :-)=

Answer 7

My son is 4 months old and they told me the same thing. He just had X-rays last Friday and we are awaiting the results. This is something he may need surgery for.

Did your doctor talk to you about this? You might need to ask more questions.

Answer 8

what did the doctor say about it?