paediatrics

Question 1

when do fontanelles close

Answer 1

Typically, fontanelles close by the time your baby is 18 months old. The posterior fontanelle usually closes first — within 2 months of birth. The anterior fontanelle closes between 7 and 18 months

Question 2

what causes depressed fontanelle

Answer 2

A noticeably sunken fontanelle is a sign that the infant does not have enough fluid in its body

Question 3

what causes bulging fontanelle

Answer 3

• • encephalitis, which is a brain inflammation caused by a viral or bacterial infection
• hydrocephalus, which is excess brain fluid that’s present at birth or occurs from injury or infection
• meningitis, which is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord tissue that results from a viral or bacterial infection
• hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which is brain swelling and damage that occurs when your baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen for a long period
• intracranial hemorrhaging, which is bleeding in the brain
• head trauma
• a brain tumor or abscess
• Lyme disease, which is a bacterial infection you get from an infected tick
• Addison’s disease, which is a condition in which your adrenal glands don’t make enough hormones for your body to function properly
• congestive heart failure, which is when blood and fluid buildup in parts of your body because your heart can’t pump enough blood
• leukemia, which is cancer of the white blood cells
• an electrolyte disturbance, which is when your blood’s levels of certain chemicals, such as sodium and potassium, are out of balance
• hyperthyroidism, which is when your thyroid makes more hormones than you need
• maple syrup urine disease, which occurs when your body can’t properly break down proteins
• anemia, which is a condition in which your blood doesn’t contain enough oxygen

Question 4

what is obligate nose breathers

Answer 4

Babies are “obligate nose breathers”, meaning that they can only breathe through their noses