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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Help! Sunken fontanelle in 6mo DS - very worried :(

20 replies

BotBotticelli · 04/06/2013 08:26

I noticed this morning that the soft spot on top of DS's head feels sunken in. I am really worried that he might be dehydrated.

He is feeding as normal (FF) and we have been weaning for 4 weeks now. He has a small amount of food 3x per day. For example, yesterday he had:

Half a weetabix with whole milk at breakfast
Half an Ella's pouch at lunch cos we were out
A mashed banana for tea

As well as the food he had
7oz milk on waking
6oz milk mid morning
6oz milk mid afternoon
8oz milk at bedtime

I do offer him water in a tippy cup with every meal but he's not really got the hand of using the free flow ,cup yet, so mostly tips it down his front.

Am now really worried that I am somehow failing to get enough water into DS as well as the milk feeds :-( He won't take water from a bottle and never has. Tried again this morning after his breakfast and he wouldnt take it.

Should I put an extra ounce of water in his bottles today to make sure he is hydrated? Should I buy a tippy cup with a valve which he might be able to get more water down with?

Am gonna phone my HV at 0930 when she gets in, but please can anyone reassure me before then?

Ds seems fine in himself, took bottle and breakfast fine this morning. But DH said his nightime nappy wasn't as full of wee as normal when he changed it this morning :(

OP posts:

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Tee2072 · 04/06/2013 08:27

I wouldn't wait for your HV but go straight to A&E. If he is dehydrated, it's very serious in a baby that young.

hugoagogo · 04/06/2013 08:31

If you think he seems dehydrated then A&E is the answer.

MrsWolowitz · 04/06/2013 08:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

justabigdisco · 04/06/2013 08:40

How can he be dehydrated when he's drunk all that milk??
OP why don't you ring your GP when they open and explain.

DeWe · 04/06/2013 09:16

Is the fontella different from usual, or is it just that you've noticed?

One of mine had a fontella that was "sunken in" naturally. I don't know why, but it was normal for hers to feel quite a dip.

On the basis of what you've said he's had, I doubt very much he's dehydrated. the less wee in the nappy could well be because it's hot and some has sweated off... or you're looking to see if there's a problem because you've noticed the fontella, and you wouldn't have noticed anything unusual about the nappy if you hadn't seen that first.

alienbanana · 04/06/2013 09:31

I think I'd give an extra milk feed this morning, rather than food, if you can get him to take it.

Its going to be warm today, if he hasn't had a normal wet nappy by now I'd be off to the GP I think.

beltsandsuspenders · 04/06/2013 10:25

definitely see a doctor. with such a young baby you cannot be too careful.

Original poster

BotBotticelli · 04/06/2013 13:42

saw GP this morning, she said the fontanelle was a bit sunken but not enough for them to be concerned. She said he could be a bit dehydrated and to try to get extra fluids (ie water) into him on top of the milk feeds.

Trouble is, he wont drink water from any drinking vessel :( wont take it from a bottle, a tippy cup with a valve, a tippy cup without a valve (with the latter he just tips it all down himself).

Anyone got any tips on how I can get him to drink some water? I even tried it with a dash of pure orange juice in to tempt him this morning - still not interested. So frustrating as he won't take any extra milk feeds.

Should I put a bit more water in each bottle of formula for a few days just to be on the safe side??

OP posts:

Bythebeach · 04/06/2013 13:59

Have you tried an open cup? My 7 month old will only drink from these....he uses his big brothers' ikea plastic cups filled nearly to the brim and I hold it tipped and he slurps. Expect a doidy cup would be best but haven't got round to buying one.

DeWe · 04/06/2013 13:59

One of mine didn't happily drink anything other than milk until she was at school and the water bottles were pushed.

Getting fluid into her:
Ice lollies-we made our own with water or very watered down squash
With a straw (may not manage it at his age)
In the bath/paddling pool. Gave her a cup and she would happily drink that

In this weather I'd be tempted to strip him to a nappy, go outside and let him have an open cup, I found they all found the novelty of drinking "like mummy", even at 6 months, exciting enough to not mind what they were drinking.

Thurlow · 04/06/2013 14:13

Ice lollies or frozen fruit and veg (they can chew/ suck on berries and peas etc., though at your DS's age I would watch him very carefully as I imagine these would be a next texture to him), and letting him play with your open cup to copy you.

Also dioralyte can fix so much at that age. Do you have a medicine syringe? It's not pleasant for anyone, but if you can syringe little bits into his cheek slowly that will help. When DD went to A&E for suspected dehydration we were told to syringe 20mls over 20 minutes. The trick is to just dribble a little into their cheek at a time so you don't prompt them to gag and be sick.

sydlexic · 04/06/2013 14:22

My Dr told me that the sunken Fontanelle meaning dehydration is a myth. Although severe dehydration would cause it there would be many other signs before that stage is reached. In the absence of any other symptoms in an apparently healthy baby who is feeding it should be ignored.

justabigdisco · 04/06/2013 16:04

If he won't drink water, just give more milk!

alienbanana · 04/06/2013 16:36

Does he eat fruit? What about some watermelon or plums or something.

kritur · 04/06/2013 19:01

In the bath from a cup (or the sponge if like mine...), ice lollies, put a bit of fruit juice in,...

IsThatTrue · 04/06/2013 19:09

My DS gets a sunken fontanelle sometimes when he's upset. It rights itself when he's feeling happier. If the sic doesn't seem overly concerned try not to worry. Just keep an eye on his fluid intake and his wet nappies. If he drops feeds/has less wet nappies then take to a+e

starfishmummy · 04/06/2013 19:25

Would he drink from a spoon? Or try an egg cup.

ButtonBoo · 06/06/2013 16:20

Have you tried one of superdrugs own brand cups with a built in straw? They're cheap too so not to much of a big deal if he doesn't take to it.

Otherwise ice lollies are definitely worth a go.

CabbageHead · 08/06/2013 14:40

When ds was this young and in need of more fluids (live in australia, v hot in summer) i would add more water to his solids, so just add water to the mash banana, add water to the cereal, main meal etc and just more fruit in general, such as stewed apple, pear or melon.

Doesn't sound like he should be dehydrated if he is drinking milk and hav his solids, but you will know your baby best as to what is normal.

Ds also liked to drink water out of our bought water bottles as its such a novelty. Didnt figure out how to use a straw in bottle until he figured out how to slurp up spaghetti then he made the connection! Try a water bottle that has a soft silicon top that they have to suck out of but is different to his normal milk bottle? Ds still doesn't drink much out of sippy cups becos of the flow issues drowning but will drink loads from straw bottle or the drink bottle with silicon top (like sippy bottle but water doesn't come out unless you suck it out...)

Lala29 · 08/06/2013 19:59

My DD never took a sippy cup until she was nearly a year old. Until then she always used a doidy cup and got the hang of that a lot faster than a sippy cup. She still (20 months) prefers to drink out of my glass than from her own cup!

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