Small anterior fontanel --- did this turn out OK for anyone?

[Proserpina]

My son (who is 7 wks + 1 day today) has a teeny, tiny, barely-there anterior fontanel. I can barely feel it with my pinkie tip. Our doctor finds it "likely" that he has craniosynostosis, so my son is seeing a neurosurgeon on Thursday, hopefully for an X-Ray to confirm or deny.

So far the disappearing fontanel is the only sign of this condition. His head is perfectly round, no sign of "ridges" in his skull or premature sutures. I know from Googling around that the anterior fontanel closes by 3 months for about 1 out of 100 babies (vs. craniosynostosis affecting 1 out of 2000 to 2500 births). I also know that craniosynostosis is usually apparent at birth, but for a very small number of children, can take up to a year or longer to manifest.

I'm prepared for bad news on Thursday. I figure it's better to prepare for bad news and be relieved by good than hope for good and be devastated by bad.

Still, anyone here ever had a child with a tiny anterior fontanel and things turned out okay?

 

[Glitter_berry]

My daughters was as you have described at 7 weeks and had fully closed at 2 months. I was sooooooo panicked. She had to go for all kinds of scans on her head. The outcome.

Physically, She is 4 and has a slight raised spot on the top of her head.

Developmentally.
She walked at 9 months
Spoke 4+ word sentences at 11 months
Could sit up in assisted at 4 months. Knew all her colours at 14 months could count to 10 at 18 months. And was fully wees and poo toilet trained at 2 years 3 months.

I know there are some horrible outcomes that involve surgery and a lot treatment, which the health nurses tried to prepare me for. By my daughter is living proof it can just happen and be fine. Xxx

 

[summer rain]

My friend's son had this and while the fontanelle was closed the sutures were not so his skull could expand in other places perfectly well. Another friend her baby's soft spot suddenly almost completely closed before three months but a few months down the line and it hasn't closed any further, and her head seems to be growing/developing normally so the doctors are just keeping an eye on it as far as I know. There's a difference between closed and fused, sometimes the fontanelle can appear closed but it isn't fused close and the membrane underneath is completely normal and has the space to expand and grow. Good luck! Xx

 

[DianaB]

My youngest DD has a tiny anterior fontanelle too, so far hers doesn't seem to be changing in size though. Her doctor isn't overly concerned she just says we'll keep a close eye on it just in case.

 

[Proserpina]

Thanks much for the responses and encouragement. Update on this:

The neurosurgeon looked at him for all of 2 minutes before declaring that he does not have craniosynostosis. Did not even send him in for an x-ray. He said that the tiny fontanel is no big deal, that babies can vary on that a lot, and not to worry about it.

So, we're in the clear for now. If his head starts looking misshapen, maybe I'll get him checked out again, but for now I'm putting it out of mind.

 

[christinelle]

This first had us worried when baby girl was 2 mo and the fontanel was small. Her head kept growing fine until 6 months that didn't grow at all from 5 months. Our pediatrician referred us to a specialist for an xray and I was really worried about radiation exposure. I spent all night planning a possible surgery in my head so I could be prepared for bad news.
The next day we saw a neurosurgeon that told us there are no clinical signs of craniosynostosis and an xray is not recommended yet. If the head doesn't grow in the next couple of months, we will have to go back but so far nothing seems wrong.