head soft spot not closed

[ebcarter2k]

My 15 yr old daughter has been complaning about her head hurting. We have noticed that the soft spot, on the back of her head that was there when she was born, has not closed up fully. What could be the problem?

[trashman]

i am a 40year old man and i still have soft spots.i have never been able to find out why or what may happen later on in life.

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

Does the headache occur at the area of the soft spot? How does your daughter describe the headache?

The "soft spots" present at birth are called fontanels.  A newborn has six fontanels, namely: the anterior and posterior, two mastoid, and two sphenoid. The one you are referring to might be the posterior fontanel which usually closes around 2 months of age.

There are many conditions that would cause a delay of closure of fontanels, however, it is usually found with an enlarged head as well as other abnormalities.

You should bring your daughter to her pediatrician to assess this condition as well as determine if the headache is related to it.

Hope this helps.