When does the newborn head become hard

[workin'mumof2]

I had a visitor today and we have a nearly 1 year old but she said for her daughter to be careful (9 years old) with him even on the flood as he has a soft head??:confused: was she just making sure her daughter was careful around him or does he really still have a soft head, coz he bumps and knocks it and doesnt winge most times unless its really hard ie falls from standing position lands on bum but then looses that and falls and hurts his head. I know his fontenal* closed up just after 8months as he had an xray and it was nearly closed. was that what she was refering to?

[~Emmylou~]

That was probably what she was talking about.

My DS is about to turn one and he still has a very small soft spot at the top of his head. I'm not sure when the soft spot is meant to close up completely though??

[Super Trooper]

I was told the soft spots dont close until 18-24 months

[drewid]

I was told around 2 years. I can't notice any truly soft spots on my 2.5yr olds head, but I still try to be careful...I'm sure their heads are still soft because they are still growing. The way my DS bashes his head around though, they are pretty sturdy things by 2yrs!

[SassyMummy]

At birth, the skull features a small posterior fontanelle, an open area covered by a tough membrane, where the two parietal bones adjoin the occipital bone (at the lambda). This fontanelle usually closes during the first several months of an infant's life.

There is also a much larger, diamond-shaped anterior fontanelle where the two frontal and two parietal bones abut. This fontanelle remains open until the child is about two years of age. In cleidocranial dysostosis it is often late in closing or never closes.

The above is taken from wikipedia. So it looks like 1 fontanelle closes fairly early on, but the other closes at around 2.

[hayleysmummy]

DD is 11 and a half months and still has the soft spot on top of her head but I cant really feel a soft part at the back its just me though :laughing: cause the dr can feel it

[mum2bubba]

Around 18 months to 2 years.