Fontanels are soft spots on a baby's skull where the bones have not yet fused together. The most notable fontanels are located on the top of the head (anterior fontanel) and at the back (posterior fontanel). There are also smaller fontanels located on the sides of the head (sphenoidal and mastoid fontanels). These areas allow for the skull to accommodate the growing brain and facilitate childbirth.
There are several types of fontanels in an infant's skull, with the major ones being the anterior, posterior, sphenoidal, and mastoid fontanels. The anterior fontanel, located at the top of the head, is the largest and typically closes between 12 to 18 months. The posterior fontanel, found at the back of the skull, usually closes by 2 to 3 months. The sphenoidal and mastoid fontanels are smaller and close even earlier, contributing to the flexibility and growth of the skull during infancy.
A newborn typically has six fontanels, which are soft spots on their skull where the sutures have not fully closed yet. These fontanels allow for the baby's head to be flexible during childbirth and to accommodate the rapid brain growth during the first few years of life.
Fontanels are the soft, flexible spaces between the bones of an infant's skull, commonly known as "soft spots." They allow for the growth of the skull as the baby's brain develops and help facilitate the passage of the head through the birth canal during delivery. Over time, these fontanels gradually close as the skull bones fuse, typically by the age of 18 months. The most well-known fontanel is the anterior fontanel, located at the top of the head.
two years
By about age four or five.
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Fontanels are soft spots on a baby's skull where the bones have not yet fused. By feeling the tension or bulging of the fontanels, healthcare providers can get an indirect estimate of intracranial pressure. If the fontanels are tense and bulging, it could indicate increased intracranial pressure, while sunken fontanels may indicate dehydration or decreased intracranial pressure.
The anterior fontanel is the most dorsal fontanel, located at the intersection of the sagittal suture and the coronal suture on the top of the skull.
4 or more
4 or more
Fontanels
The fontanels of a baby skull are made of connective tissue. They are soft spots between the skull bones that allow for some flexibility during birth and rapid brain growth in the first year of life. Over time, these fontanels close as the bones of the skull fuse together.