Dehydrated soft spot

5 Warning Signs From Your Baby’s Soft Spot – Cleveland Clinic

When you’re a new parent, you learn that you need to protect that soft spot, or fontanelle, on your baby’s head. It rarely requires much attention, but it reminds you just how fragile your infant is.

That’s why, if something changes — is the soft spot sunken in a little? — you may worry there’s something wrong.

A change in the fontanelle isn’t always a major problem, but it can sometimes reveal internal issues, says Violette Recinos, MD, Section Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic.

“It is a good indicator of the baby’s potential hydration status and brain status,” she says. “It’s like an automatic pressure sensor.”

What is the fontanelle?

The fontanelle is the space between different plates of a baby’s skull that will eventually come together. This aspect of an infant’s skull structure typically allows for easy delivery through the birth canal and for rapid head growth during the first year of life, Dr. Recinos says.

There are actually two soft spots — one at the back of the head and another on top. The posterior one closes within a few months of birth, while the top fontanelle typically remains until just past a child’s first birthday.

Dr. Recinos explains what changes in the fontanelle can tell you about your infant’s health.

Sunken in soft spot

This is often a sign of dehydration, she says. It may occur if your child is sick and not getting enough fluids.

What you should do: See your pediatrician if the sunken appearance persists and you can’t get your baby to take in more fluids.

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Swollen soft spot

After a fall, a swollen soft spot (particularly if it’s accompanied by vomiting) is sometimes a sign of head trauma.

What you should do: Seek medical treatment right away.

Bulging soft spot

Fluid buildup (hydrocephalus) can cause rapid head growth and can make the soft spot look “full,” Dr. Recinos says.

A bulging fontanelle also might signal internal bleeding or a tumor or mass causing pressure in the head.

What you should do: If their soft spot is bulging, that’s a reason to seek care from your pediatrician, she says.

Seek emergency care if your infant exhibits fatigue, vomiting or unusual mental status along with the fontanelle’s fullness. Treatment for these conditions may include surgery to insert a shunt that relieves fluid buildup or to remove any underlying mass, Dr. Recinos says.

Disappearing soft spot

Most of the time the soft spot is obvious, particularly on a newborn. But at times it can seem to disappear quickly.

This may scare parents, but it typically means it’s just a “quiet fontanelle,” not that it has fused together prematurely, Dr. Recinos says.

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As long as your child’s head is growing normally, all is probably well, she says. But your pediatrician may suggest an imaging test to make sure the fontanelle is still open.

Occasionally, though, the skull bones do close earlier than normal on one side, causing craniosynostosis. Depending on which bones fused, the baby may develop an abnormal head shape. For example, sagittal craniosynostosis, the most common form, results in a longer head that is shaped somewhat like a football.

What you should do: Children with craniosynostosis may need surgery to open the fused bones and reshape the skull. In some cases, the child will wear a helmet afterward until the site heals and the head shape normalizes.

Soft spot that doesn’t close

If the soft spot stays big or doesn’t close after about a year, it is sometimes a sign of a genetic condition such as congenital hypothyroidism.

What you should do: Talk to your doctor about treatment options.

The bottom line? If you have any questions or concerns about your baby’s soft spot, it’s a good idea to check in with your pediatrician to make sure all is well.

Sunken fontanel: Causes, picture, and complications

A sunken fontanel occurs when the soft spot on a baby’s skull becomes more deep set than usual. One of the major causes is dehydration.

The human skull is made up from several bones that are connected by tough fibrous tissue called sutures. These sutures give the skull some flexibility, allowing the head to pass through the birth canal.

Where several sutures meet, they create a fontanel. Fontanels make the skull flexible enough for the brain to grow. When a child is born, it will have several fontanels on the skull, but the ones on the back (posterior) and top (anterior) of its head are the most well-known.

For many babies, only the larger anterior fontanel is open after birth. People refer to this fontanel as the soft spot.

Sometimes, the smaller posterior fontanel is also open and may be felt at birth but soon closes.

Over time, this flexibility becomes less necessary, so the fontanels close up, and sutures harden.

The anterior fontanel should curve slightly inwards but remain relatively firm. It is not always visible, particularly under hair. In some cases, the dip may be very pronounced and noticeable. This is a sunken fontanel, which requires medical attention.

Share on PinterestA baby’s skull can have a soft spot, which is called a fontanel.
Image credit: Nojhan, 2005.

Dehydration is the primary cause of a sunken fontanel.

Dehydration occurs when an infant does not have sufficient fluid in their body to maintain normal functioning. This can happen for a many reasons, including:

vomiting
not drinking enough fluids
diarrhea
fever
urinating too often

Dehydration in children can range from mild to severe. More severe cases will require immediate medical attention to avoid complications.

A sunken fontanel can be a sign of dehydration. Other symptoms will usually be present and can include:

dry tongue and lips
dry, cool skin
rapid heart rate and breathing
infrequent urination
no tears when crying
sunken eyes

It is also possible, though uncommon, for a sunken fontanel to be a sign of malnutrition. Malnutrition can result from a calorie deficit or an underlying condition, such as malabsorption syndrome.

Infants with malnutrition will almost always display other signs, including:

being underweight
dry, inelastic skin
dry hair that falls out easily
fatigue or lethargy

Share on PinterestA doctor may visually examine the baby to help diagnose the cause of a sunken fontanel.

A doctor will visually examine the fontanel and gently feel the area to help determine whether the structure of the fontanel is abnormal. An abnormal structure could indicate an underlying problem.

A doctor will also check for signs of dehydration or malnutrition. This could include monitoring the baby’s heart rate and breathing or feeling the skin for dryness and reduced elasticity.

The doctor will ask when a person first noticed the sunken fontanel. They will also ask questions relating to the infant’s overall health, such as whether they have had a fever or bouts of vomiting or diarrhea.

They will want to know about the baby’s feeding habits and whether they have been urinating more or less than usual.

The diagnosis may require blood or urine samples.

If the sunken fontanel is due to dehydration, immediate medical attention may be necessary, sometimes in the hospital.

In a hospital, a doctor will give the infant fluids orally to prompt rehydration. If the infant has been vomiting, doctors may administer fluids into the bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line.

This treatment will continue until fluid levels reach an acceptable level.

Parents and carers may be able to treat mild cases of dehydration at home by encouraging the infant to drink or feed if they breastfeed. However, people should only try to treat dehydration at home if a doctor has examined the baby and instructed them to do so.

If the cause of the sunken fontanel is malnutrition, treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause. It will typically involve increasing overall calorie intake or a specific nutrient.

In some cases, it may be necessary to deliver nutrients through an IV line or a tube.

Share on PinterestKeeping a baby hydrated and well-fed can help prevent a sunken fontanel from occurring.

It is possible to treat most cases of dehydration quickly and easily.

Malnutrition can be challenging to treat, depending on the cause.

However, the longer an infant goes without treatment, the greater their chances of lasting damage become.

The human body needs to stay hydrated to function. A prolonged period of dehydration can lead to brain damage and even death.

Prolonged malnutrition can lead to developmental delays and disability.

Fontanels occur naturally in infants. It is normal for a fontanel to form an inward curve in infants while their skull is still hardening. But in some cases, it may become sunken, and the cause may need medical treatment.

A sunken fontanel, when accompanied by other symptoms, can be a sign of dehydration or malnutrition.

Some baby’s fontanels always appear slightly sunken even when they are well. Sometimes, a baby is dehydrated but does not have a sunken fontanel. It is vital to know the signs of illness and dehydration in a baby and seek medical help, regardless of the appearance of their fontanel.

Delaying treatment of dehydration or malnutrition can have severe and lasting consequences for the infant’s development. Anyone concerned about a sunken fontanel should speak to a doctor as soon as possible.

Just add water: the most effective skin care products in early spring

Gazeta.Ru figured out why it is so important to distinguish dry skin from dehydrated skin in spring, and offers the most effective products with shea butter, shea butter, ginger and other miracle extracts.

Rough skin, dull complexion, redness and irritation on the face are problems that we absolutely do not need in spring. In order to solve them, there are a lot of cosmetic products. But for some reason, many do not help. Maybe you just picked the wrong cream or balm - for example, you decided that your skin is dry, when it is actually dehydrated? It's time to figure out what the difference is, and most importantly, what your face and body need.

Dehydrated skin

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It's not really a skin type at all - it's a condition that normal, combination, and even oily skin can be in. This can happen due to climate change, stress, lack of sleep, smoking, alcohol abuse, malnutrition - in a word, everything that is generally unhealthy.

Even the wrong care product can lead to dehydration - for example, excessive love for lotions containing alcohol.

Dehydrated skin looks dull, faded, uneven, even if the oval of the face is completely tightened. Wrinkles are visible on it, and in addition to this, redness and irritation appear, and when pressed with a finger, a dent remains on the face for a while.

What do you need?

Water. This means that you should drink at least six glasses of clean water a day, buy a humidifier, and use moisturizers that contain ingredients that can lock moisture into the skin, such as glycerin, squalene, and hyaluronic acid. Be careful with scrubs and peels: fruit acids, for example, can cause irritation. And cleansers should not contain sulfates.

Dry Skin

If you have dry skin, your genes are most likely to blame - although sometimes skin develops this type due to an underactive thyroid gland, hormonal imbalance, or neglect of moisturizers.

In any case, the problem with dry skin is that it does not produce enough sebum, a special secret secreted by the skin glands, rich in fatty acids.

Skin that is not protected by fat is sensitive and rough, it flakes and reacts to any changes in the environment, wrinkles appear on it ahead of time.

What do you need?

Oils, facial massage and care. Choose mild cleansers and avoid soaps, facial cleansers, and lotions that contain alcohol. It is best to get rid of dead cells with peels containing acids or microparticles, but natural scrubs with crushed apricot pits can injure the skin.

When choosing creams and balms, pay attention to the composition: it's good if they contain shea butter, jojoba oil, vegetable oils and all the same squalene.

Face

100%

1. Nutritic Intense Riche, La Roche-Posay Nourishing Cream
Shea butter and soybean oil promise to be a lifesaver for dry skin. So it is: thick and oily, it softens dry skin, relieves pain and restores the lipid layer.

2. Rich balm for very dry skin Face Balm, SkinSeuticals
Balm for mature dry skin, which suffers from moisture and collagen, while having to defend itself against free radicals, solves all three problems.

Thick cream contains Centella asiatica extract, a plant known for its ability to fight skin aging.

3. Ginseng Infusion Revitalizing Day Cream, Erborian
The herbal ingredients of Asian origin in this cream serve to restore, fight ageing and restore complexion and elasticity, that is, everything that dehydrated skin lacks: if on the list ingredients are ginkgo biloba, ginseng and ginger - this is the same cream.

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4. Return To Sweet 16 Repair Mask, Dr. Jart +
Fine lines, loss of firmness and elasticity are all problems that mature or dehydrated skin has. A mask with collagen, glycerin and peptides can solve them if you apply it in the evening on cleansed skin and leave it for 20-40 minutes. Yes, long. But effective.

5. Perfect Morning BB Mask, Erborian
Every skin needs a cleansing: this mask cleanses deeply - thanks to antibacterial ingredients - but gently. It also contains Korean matcha green tea, which, like all green teas, has antioxidant properties.

Don't forget to apply a nourishing cream to your radiant face.

6. Carrot Nourishing Revitalizing Night Face Cream, Yes TO Carrots
Designed for normal to dry skin. All kinds of plant components with moisturizing and antioxidant properties serve as nutrition and restoration here - aloe vera, extracts of carrots, avocados, tangerines, green tea - and squalene.

7. Moisturizing cream "Morning dew", Sampar
Day cream, but it can be applied in the evening as recommended by the manufacturer. The moisture level in the skin will be maintained at the proper level even longer and more convincingly - and all thanks to hyaluronic acid, which is so necessary for dehydrated skin, saturated fatty acids and tricky complexes of substances that help to retain moisture in the skin.

8. Hydra Beauty Lip Balm, Chanel
Every girl should have a jar with this logo. Even if it's small. At least for a very small part of the body - small, but important. Like all Hydra Beauty products, the balm contains camellia extract, Chanel's signature moisturizer.

9. L'Occitane Ultra Nourishing Comfort Face Cream Shea Butter
The high content of shea butter - as much as 25% - and glycerin makes this cream suitable for dry, very dry and even sensitive skin. It nourishes, softens, moisturizes and protects the face for 72 hours after application.

Body

100%

1. Wild Argan Body Milk, The Body Shop
Contains one of the world's best moisturizers, argan oil, sourced from Morocco. Due to its antioxidant properties, the oil has a good effect even on very dry skin - it softens and relieves nasty itching and irritation.

2. Wild Argan Solid Body and Hair Oil, The Body Shop
Argan nut oil again, but in a completely different consistency and with a wider range of applications. The oil is good for hair too, for them it works as a conditioner, making them smoother and shinier.

3. Body balm with essential oils Baume Hydratant Tonic, Clarins
Lightweight balm absorbs quickly, softening the skin and giving it the scent of mint, geranium and rosemary essential oils.

Apple seed oil protects, moisturizes and nourishes, while ginseng extract tones and tightens.

4. Shea butter, L'Occitane
The most obvious solution for those who are already desperate to find a moisturizer for very dry skin is 100% organic shea butter in a can. It will soften, relieve itching, even completely irritated, cracked skin. It is also a rich source of vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant.

5. Body milk for dry skin, Vichy
An unexpected key ingredient in this lightweight milk is rose extract. The fact is that it contains polyphenol - an antioxidant that prevents free radicals from destroying skin cells and restores freshness and elasticity to it.

6. Vanilla Shea Butter Body Cream, L'Occitane
Another tin from our favorite French brand with shea butter inside, but here it is not 100%, but 10%. Whether it's good or bad - decide for yourself: if you don't need to take drastic measures to save dry skin, this amount of magic oil in a light moisturizer will be enough for it.

causes of dehydration and 4 rules of care

Dehydration is often confused with dry skin. But this is a condition caused by a lack of moisture, and has nothing to do with the type of skin. Often, owners of oily skin believe that their sebaceous glands are already working excessively actively, which means that everything is in order with moisturizing. But due to this misconception and improper care, 80% of women with oily skin actually suffer from dehydration.

How do you know if your skin is dehydrated?

Feeling of tightness after washing.
Skin is rough to the touch.
Oily sheen. It appears on dry skin, although it is not typical for it, and intensifies on oily.
After washing, you want to quickly apply a softening cream.
By the middle of the day, the foundation rolls off, the pigment becomes uneven. (The skin is so thirsty that it absorbs the moisture from the foundation.)
The skin quickly ages, does not take anti-aging products and serums well.
Peeling occurs, even on oily skin. This is an extreme degree of dehydration, when the skin is in dire need of hydration.

Causes of dehydration

First, the skin loses moisture if you wash your face too often. In an effort, out of good intentions, to bring the face to a state of impeccable cleanliness, you can overdo it with cleansing and deprive it of a protective layer. The skin does not have time to restore the barrier, in addition, some gels act aggressively. Deprived of protection, the glands begin to work faster, hurrying to return a comfortable environment and make up for the lack of moisture. As a result, frequent washing accelerates the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. A vicious circle with a shiny face will not open in any way.

Other possible reasons:

Unsuitable make-up remover and cleanser. Every skin has different needs and not every formula can meet them
Frequent use of acids
Abuse of drying masks
Lack of water in the diet

How to get rid of dehydration?

To make up for the lack of moisture, you need to change all the stages of care, and not rely on a moisturizing mask:

1. Make-up remover

An important stage of evening cleansing, when there is decorative cosmetics on the skin, even if it's just powder. It is necessary to remove cosmetics with a make-up remover, since no cleanser will wash off foundation, mascara, city dust and dirt. To remove makeup, you need to choose a product based on skin type, age and degree of durability of cosmetics.

For the eye area, two-phase products are well suited. This is a sensitive area, and manufacturers try to avoid aggressive components in the composition.

Be careful with micellar water and hydrophilic oil. The first acts quite aggressively and remains on the skin, therefore, it must be washed off. Hydrophilic oil was originally invented for removing theatrical makeup, and its rare use will not harm the skin. But with regular use, the oil forms a film and blocks cellular respiration. The metabolism of the skin slows down, it becomes dry and dehydrated.

2. Wash

There should be two cleansers, regardless of skin type. We are looking for only surfactants in the composition, since the key purpose of such products is to purify. You can’t do without them at all, just as you can’t wash off fat from a frying pan with ordinary water.

It is better to wash with your hands, and if you like the effect after the brush, then use it no more than once every two weeks. After all, the skin of the face is thin and it is very easy to damage it.

Washing products by skin type:

Oily and combination. The first product should contain one hard surfactant and 2-4 soft surfactants. The second remedy is only soft surfactants, from 3 to 7. Eliminate oils, but acids (glycolic, lactic, salicylic) can be - they have an anti-inflammatory effect and gently exfoliate dead cells.

Dry/Sensitive/Mature. The first product is a moisturizer, only with mild surfactants. The second tool is a cleanser, also with soft surfactants in the composition. Look for natural oils, hyaluronic acid, urea, and other moisturizing ingredients.

Normal. The first product is a moisturizer with mild surfactants. The second tool is a cleanser, with soft surfactants in the composition.

Checking the funds is quite difficult, and remembering all the hard and soft components is unrealistic, especially if you are not a chemist by training. When choosing a product, you should not focus on the price (more expensive does not mean better). You will have to study the composition, look for information about the components on the Internet, but be sure of the right choice.

Examples:

Suitable for dehydrated oily skin as a first cleanser:

- Cleansing facial wash HIMALAYA HERBALS. Contains:

Hard surfactants: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Mild surfactants: Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate 20

- LIMONI FRESH SKIN foam with hyaluronic acid. Contains:

Hard surfactants: PEG-32
Mild Surfactants: Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Suitable for dehydrated dry/normal to oily skin as a second treatment:

- Caring mousse for washing DOVE. Contains only mild surfactants: Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate.

- Cleansing foam NATURA SIBERICA NATURA KAMCHATKA. Contains only mild surfactants: Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Pineamidopropyl BetainePS.

3. Toning

If you don’t already have a tonic in your care, then by all means start it. This stage is more important than a cream, which not everyone needs before going to bed (oily skin). And toning is necessary after each contact with water, because the main function of the tonic is to restore the pH level. Without it, the face is like without a barrier: open to infections, dust and germs. The right tonic refreshes, prepares the skin for the application of a cream or serum, and even enhances their properties. The composition of the tonic should not contain alcohol, oils and peg 40, at least in the first five positions. How to choose a toner according to your needs and skin type is described in detail here.

4. Moisturizing/nourishing (cream)

It is a mistake to rely on the advice of friends or choose a baby cream (won't hurt the baby, won't hurt me either). After all, each skin type has its own needs, and yours may also have its own problems. Dry skin needs to be moisturized and nourished. The normal type needs hydration. Combination and oily ones also need hydration, but they don’t need oil nutrition at all.

The cream may contain:

Aqua (water). Often comes first, and rightly so. Water is the basis and the more it is, the stronger the moisturizing properties are.
Glicerine. Natural moisturizer. It is safe, but it is desirable that it be located no earlier than the 4th position.
Dimethicone. Mineral oil or silicone. Moisturizes and softens the skin. There is nothing threatening in it.
Urea (urea). Well moisturizes and restores tone.
Caprylic caprictriglyceride. It is made from coconut oil. Replaces mineral oil and perfectly softens the skin.
Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E). Protects, evens out texture.
Lecithin. Restores the fat base. It improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Panthenol (panthenol). Softens, retains moisture. Not very suitable for oily skin (may be comedogenic for her).
Allantoin. Starts the regeneration process.
Glyceryl Stearate, carbomer, polysosbate 20. These are emulsifiers that form the texture of the cream.
Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben (parabens). Provides long-term storage of the cream.

Vitamins and plant extracts are always beneficial. But remember, the farther they are located from the beginning of the composition, the less their concentration in the composition.

What should NOT be in the cream

For combination and oily skin: