Patient's question:
Detailed medical condition and purpose of consultation: The Baimen (fontanelle) on the head has not yet closed so far.Current general condition: Currently, everything is normal, except that the height is only 75 cm. Is this normal?
Medical history: None
Previous diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes: None
Doctor's answer:
Although the anterior fontanelle typically closes around 18 months, some children may close it earlier. However, this does not mean that cranial growth stops, as head circumference growth ceases only when the sutures between the bones fully fuse between the ages of 13 and 14. Therefore, even if an infant has early fontanelle closure, the head circumference may still continue to grow with brain development, and it generally does not affect intellectual development.However, there is one exception: in cases of microcephaly, early fontanelle closure is due to poor brain development, which can lead to delayed intellectual development. Thus, early fontanelle closure requires a case-by-case analysis to determine whether it affects a child's intellectual development. The most appropriate method is to regularly measure head circumference and monitor the child's neurodevelopmental progress. If the head circumference grows at a normal rate and the child's neurodevelopment aligns with their age, then even with early fontanelle closure, it will not impact their intellectual development.