Anterior fontanelle not fully closed yet at 17 months?

[Boo44]

This is something that has always worried me. Jack's fontanelle has always seemed a bit big to me. It's always been wider side to side than it is long. My family always blamed it on him sleeping on his back (so irritating as we followed SIDS guidelines but obviously because in the 'olden days' babies slept on their tummies they didn't get these issues..!)
Anyway it used to be huge and very wide. No HV or anyone has ever commented on it so I put it at the back of my mind. His slight flat spot at the back of his head has evened out now but I still think of his head as a bit 'wide' lol.
I was bathing him tonight and realised his fontanelle is still open! Much smaller from front to back but about 1.5 fingers wide.

When exactly should this have closed?

 

[Zephram]

I don't believe the anterior fontanelle closes before 18 months? If that's average, it could be before or after that.

 

[Boo44]

Well if that's true then it's very reassuring to know Thanks! X

 

[littlegreenie]

Just checked my daughters. She's 17 months next week and hers is 2 fingers width still. I am not concerned yet. It was a lot bigger so I can see it's still getting smaller but hers was very big initial too so I guess it'll be later to close.

 

[NickyKB]

Don't know if you'll be able to open the link I think it's a little early in it's average closure but it otherwise ties up with the information I've always used which is that for anterior most are closed by 18 months but no need to worry until age 2. My 19MO is still slightly open and I'm not worried as I always thought it was on the larger side so it just seemed to make sense that a larger hole would take longer to close...

https://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=-556793806

 

[rocknrolla]

I forgot about it really when los hair grew, but i do notice when bathing her that its still a little open, at almost 19 months.

 

[wannabemomy37]

I admittedly had to look up what you were talking about, and found on Wikipedia that "the anterior is not completely closed until about the middle of the second year" - again, it was Wikipedia so not the best source, but I hope this reassures you.

 

[Boo44]

Thanks everyone! Xx

 

[suzib76]

I have never ever checked any of my kids fontanelle, I wouldn't even know how to do it. I am guessing it is something that always closes itself as no doctor or anything ever checked them either

 

[bananaz]

Nothing to worry about. I checked on UpToDate (a site that provides evidence-based recommendations for physicians) and it said that it's normal for the anterior fontanelle to close anywhere between 10 and 24 months.

 

[Teeny]

my dd has a little head and no flatness at all due to never being still as a baby!!

hers is still open, nurse is not concerned, says it will most likely close by 2 xxxxx