Why is a newborn's head soft?

The head of a newborn is very fragile and feels soft to the touch, so mothers should take good care of it on a daily basis. So why is the head of a newborn soft? How to care for the head of a newborn? How to wash the baby's hair? The following editor will give you a detailed introduction.

Why is a newborn's head soft?

This "soft part" is medically called the fontanelle. It is the part of the skull that has not yet grown together, not a piece of bone missing. Despite this, it is actually much more solid than it looks. The outer protective membrane is enough to cope with general touch, and daily care, such as washing hair and haircuts, will not hurt the child's brain. The larger opening in the front of the child's head is called the anterior fontanelle, which is approximately rhombus-shaped and about 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm wide. The anterior fontanelle is usually flat, and it bulges slightly when the child cries. If the baby's hair is sparse, you can clearly see the pulse beating at the fontanelle. The other opening on the back of the head at the occipital is called the posterior fontanelle, which is smaller than the anterior fontanelle, triangular in shape, and about 1.2 cm in diameter. As the baby grows up, the skull continues to grow, new bones continue to grow on the edge of the skull, and the fontanelle continues to shrink. The anterior fontanelle of most children usually closes at around 1 to 1.5 years old; the posterior fontanelle is completely closed before 3 months. By touching the fontanelle, you can understand its size and closure status. When you are sick, you can also find problems by examining the fontanelle.

How to care for the newborn's head

Generally, it can be wiped off gently with a clean gauze or towel dipped in sterilized vegetable oil or warm water. However, if the care is not appropriate, gray-yellow or yellow-brown greasy scabs and scales of varying thickness may appear on the head of the newborn. In severe cases, the eyebrows, nasolabial grooves, and behind the ears may be affected. Such children often have an exudative constitution, and they can heal themselves after 3 to 4 weeks of reasonable care. For treatment, the scabs can be soaked in sterilized vegetable oil or liquid paraffin until they are soft, and then gently wiped off with a cotton swab or a clean towel. At ordinary times, you should pay attention to the hygiene of your head and avoid excessive sweating. For those with severe or recurrent symptoms, you can take vitamin B2, B6, and calcium orally, apply Fuqingsong, erythromycin ointment, 5% sulfur cream, etc. topically, and the mother should avoid drinking alcohol and eating too much spicy and irritating food.

How to wash your baby's hair

Choose children's shampoo: Do ​​not use adult products, but baby shampoo. The strong alkalinity of adult products will destroy the baby's scalp sebum, causing dry and itchy scalp, shortening the life of hair, and making hair dry and yellow. In addition, since the baby's tear gland function is not yet mature, a tear-free baby shampoo is the best choice.

The correct way to wash the baby's hair: The correct way is to use the whole palm to gently massage the scalp; when washing the baby's hair, the mother should not use the fingernails to scratch the baby's head to avoid scratching the baby's delicate skin. If the mother's hands are small and cannot cover the baby's ear holes, you can also plug the baby's ears with cotton to prevent water from entering the baby's ear canal.

Reasonably control the water temperature: When washing your baby's hair, it is best for the mother to test the water temperature first. In summer, the water temperature is best controlled at around 37℃~38℃, while in winter it can be slightly higher by 3℃~5℃ than in summer.

What to do if the newborn's head is tilted when sleeping

The first three months of a baby's life is a critical period for shaping the baby's head. From the first day of the baby's birth, the mother should get used to changing the baby's sleeping position frequently to keep the force on both sides of the baby's head even. Do not let the baby often adopt the same sleeping position, especially during the day.

Tip: Sleeping on your baby's stomach can make the baby's head rounder and prevent the baby from choking on spilled milk. However, when sleeping on their stomach, the toys, pillows, and bedding around the crib may block the baby's nose and cause suffocation. If you let your baby sleep on his stomach, don't use pillows for him, the bed should not be too soft, and don't put plush toys on the bed.

Because newborn babies do not need pillows or shaping pillows before 3 months old, because it is easy to cause the baby's neck to bend and cause breathing difficulties. At this time, mothers can put some soft cotton wool or pure cotton towels (folded into rectangular blocks) under the baby's head to relieve the pressure on the head.

Tip: Mom can also make a small pillow at home, the height of which only needs to be 3-4cm. The pillow should not be too soft, and should be sweat-absorbent and breathable. The outside should be made of pure cotton soft cloth, and the inside can be filled with buckwheat husks, tea leaves, reed flowers, kapok, etc.