Fontanelle Newborn Assessment
Fontanels in the newborn skull.
Fontanelle newborn assessment. The sphenoid fontanelle is found on the side of the baby s head a short distance behind the eye and the mastoid fontanelle is located behind the baby s ear. Obtain anteroposterior diameter ap obtain transverse diameter t size ap t 2. Junction of coronal suture and sagittal suture.
Ensure you make note of any retraction or bulging as the normal fontanelle feels firm and flat not sunken or bulging. There are normally several fontanelles on a newborn s skull. The word fontanel is derived from the latin fonticulus and the.
The fontanelles allow for growth of the brain and skull during an infant s first year. The anterior area should be soft often is depressed slightly and may bulge with crying. 8 9 craniosynostosis limits growth of the.
Arterial pulsations may be felt over the anterior fontanelle. The assessment begins at birth and is done periodically by the nurse during the next two to four days. In an infant the space where 2 sutures join forms a membrane covered soft spot called a fontanelle fontanel.
A sunken fontanelle indicates dehydration while a bulging fontanelle indicates raised intracranial pressure but can be non pathological vomiting crying coughing so assess when baby settled. This module focuses on assessment of the newborn infant. Fontanelles are often small in newborns with microcephaly.
This elearning module will describe assessment techniques and normal variations in newborn appearance. The newborn calvaria is normally comprised of 7 bones. As these bones grow radially from membranous ossification centers sutures form at the junctions of the calvaria and fontanels form at the intersection of sutures.