Your baby's head
Your baby's head may seem big in proportion to the rest of their body
and, depending on how they weere born, may be a bit oddly-shaped for various
reasons:
-
If he was born normally, in the first day or two his head may have
a slightly oval shape from where it was moulded as he came through
the birth canal. This usually disappears within the first week
-
Occasionally, babies are born with a slight swelling on the back
or side of their heads, usually due to lying in an awkward position
in the birth canal. Depending on what type of swelling it is, it may
go down within 24 hours, or it may take a few weeks to disappear
-
If your baby was born with the help of forceps,
the sides of his head might be a bit bruised or marked. This will
gradually go away
-
If ventouse
was used to assist his birth, he may have a cup-shaped bump on the
top of his head, or a blister which will go down within a couple of
days
-
If he was born by Caesarean,
his head will look more rounded
The bones that make up your baby’s skull aren’t yet joined together, and
there are two soft spots (fontanelles) on the top of his head where the bones don’t
meet. It is quite normal to be able to see his pulse beating under his scalp at these soft
spots.
His nose may a bit squashed and his ears may be folded forwards. They will straighten
out by themselves in a few days.
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