Fontanelles - bulging

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Skull of a newborn

Bulging fontanelles

Overview

Treatment

Fontanelles - bulging

Alternative Names:

Soft spot - bulging; Bulging fontanelles

Home Care:

If the fontanelle returns to normal appearance when the child is calm and head-up, it is not a truly bulging fontanelle.

Call your health care provider if:

An infant with a truly bulging fontanelle, especially if accompanied by fever or lethargy, should be examined promptly by an emergency room physician or pediatrician. THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting bulging fontanelle in detail may include:

Does the "soft spot" return to normal appearance when the infant is calm or head-up?
Does it bulge all the time or does it come and go?
When did you first notice this?
Which fontanelles bulge (top of the head, back of the head, or other)?
Are all the fontanelles bulging?
What other symptoms are also present (such as fever, irritability, lethargy)?

Diagnostic tests that may be performed are:

CT scan of the head
Possible lumbar puncture

After seeing your health care provider:

You may want to add a diagnosis related to bulging fontanelles to your personal medical record.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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