It’s completely natural to be a bit nervous about the soft spot on top of your baby’s head, especially if you’ve also noticed that it pulses in time with your baby’s heartbeat or bulges out a bit when your little one strains to poop. But it won't be long before you'll get used to your baby's soft spot and won’t worry about protecting or harming it. And in time, it will close up completely.

Your baby’s soft spot is actually two spots called fontanelles — one on top of that sweet little head, and a second, smaller one toward the back — that are gaps between the bones of your baby’s skull. Though it may seem as if your baby’s soft spots were put there to make you anxious, they actually play an important role. Before birth, the fontanelles give a baby’s head the flexibility it needs to squeeze through the narrow birth canal — which is why a newborn can look pointy-headed for a little while after childbirth. After birth, they stay open long enough to accommodate your baby’s growing brain.

Fontanelles may look and feel fragile, but the good news is that they’re well-protected by a sturdy membrane. That means it’s okay to touch them gently. In fact, you won’t be able to avoid coming into contact with your baby’s soft spots as you go about your routine of taking care of her, whether it's when you delicately shampoo her hair or steady her wobbly head with your hand.

Eventually, the bones in your baby’s skull will build up enough minerals to completely fuse together, and those gaps will close. You may not have even noticed the smaller back fontanelle, which typically closes by the time a baby is around 3 months old, but is sometimes closed at birth. The front one, however, stays open well into your baby’s second year to give that amazing brain the space it needs to grow, though by the time your little one turns 18 months old, it should be closed.

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Normally, a baby’s soft spot is firm and curves in just slightly. But call your doctor right away if you notice these two (rare) signs of trouble:

A fontanelle that’s dramatically sunken. This is a sign of dehydration.

This is a sign of dehydration. A bulging fontanelle. This can be a sign of increased pressure in the brain due to head trauma, an infection in the brain or a build-up of fluid around the brain — especially if your baby has a fever and is excessively sleepy. But don’t panic if the fontanelle just puffs out a bit when your baby cries or concentrates on a poop — if the fontanelle goes back to normal when your baby is sitting up and calm, then all is well.

Here’s to your baby’s soft, sweet-smelling head!