Q: I just looked at my two-month-old and noticed his soft spot is pulsating. Is this normal?
A: What you are seeing is the pulsation of blood vessels in your baby’s brain; it’s totally normal, albeit more obvious in babies with very little hair! The newborn’s skull isn’t a single fused bone like an adult’s is; it’s made of several flexible bones, which allow for compression through the birth canal and growth over the first two years of life.
The two areas where the bones come together are often called soft spots, or fontanelles. Generally speaking, parents don’t need to worry about them, although a depressed fontanelle can signal that the baby is dehydrated and should get immediate medical attention. Your baby’s doctor will routinely check these openings to ensure the skull and brain are growing as they should.
