Research on the practice of massaging the head of a baby with hot water and ointments in Ghana. By Dzamesi Yael (Ph.D. in Science Education)
The anterior fontanelle -
(the soft spot, the breathing place)
The anterior fontanelle or commonly known as the 'soft spot' all over the world, and the 'breathing space' in Ghana looks like a triangular hole (Pictures 1, 2) where movement beneath the skin can be seen clearly in newborn babies. The movement if carefully watched, gives the feeling that there is something pumping or pulsing beneath the skin, resembling the way the heart pumps or works. If you put one hand on the chest of a baby and the other hand on his or her anterior fontanelle, you will feel that the rhythm of the heartbeats and the movement of the anterior fontanelle are synchronized. However, as the baby grows it becomes more difficult to see or feel it. In the first few months of the life of a baby, when the anterior fontanelle is big and easily seen it serves as an important indicator for the health condition of the baby.
Pictures 1, 2: The vibrating anterior fontanelle - the soft spot or as it called by Ghanaians the "Breathing place". (p1, modified picture from p15).
What is the meaning of the heartbeat rhythm that we see in the anterior fontanelle ( soft spot/ breathing place)of the head of a baby?
Our brain needs a lot of blood supply. As the heart beats, it pushes the blood to the brain. Therefore, the blood flows according to the heart rhythm. Under the anterior fontanelle passes a big blood vessel. It is wider than a regular vein, so it is called a sinus which is a hollow cavity. This sinus is called the sagittal sinus and it runs like a gutter from the front to the back of the brain in the middle line that separate it into two hemispheres of right and left (Picture 3). Under the skin and the connective tissue that cover the anterior fontanelle gap there is a rushing flow of blood. The sagittal sinus is a vein and therefore carries the blood that already gave its oxygen and nutrition to the cells, and it carries the carbon dioxide and the waste and toxins materials away from the brain cells, and into the vein system of the body [168]. The brain is a very vital organ in our body and two arteries supply oxygen and nutrition to it. Why there is the need for a big vein as the sagittal sinus to carry away the waste material? The brain is such a complex and a delicate organ that any accumulation of molecules that is out of the desire quantity in the brain has an effect and sometime irreversible effect on the brain, see "Molecular changes under hyperthermia" and "Robb ointment effect" pages.
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Picture 3: The sagittal sinus in the brain (with the location of the anterior fontanelle (soft spot/ breathing place) which is closed with the bone in an adult head) modified from [169].
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The appearance of the skin above the anterior fontanelle (soft spot/ breathing place) also indicates the health condition of the baby.
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A sunken anterior fontanelle or soft spot (breathing place) indicates usually that the baby is dehydrated. He or she lost a lot of water, and ​the baby must drink immediately.
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A projecting or protruding anterior fontanelle or soft spot (breathing place) indicates that the baby is very sick and therefore he or she should be taken immediately to a clinic. No herbal medicine should be applied on the soft spot, because it may increase the illness of the baby.
If the baby catches cold, he or she sneezes, coughs, or has phlegm in the throat, exposure to cold air can contribute to the illness of the baby. The cold air enters the head (into the sinus cavities under the eyes) and the chest (into the lungs) only through the nose and the mouth and not through the fontanelles and sutures. Therefore, the baby can be dressed in warm clothes and a cap on his or her head to keep him or her warm. Do not apply hot or warm water on the head of the baby.
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