Baby Fontanelles Closure

They are not too large to begin with so are not noticed by most parents as soft spots on the.

Baby fontanelles closure. There are 2 fontanelles the space between the bones of an infant s skull where the sutures intersect that are covered by tough membranes that protect the underlying soft tissues and brain. A baby is born with several fontanels. The diagnosis of an abnormal fontanel requires an understanding of the wide variation of normal.

Anterior fontanelle also called soft spot. A newborn s head is small but it grows quickly over the first two years of life. These fontanelles will close between 6 and 18.

In humans the sequence of fontanelle closure is as follows. Other than the anterior and posterior fontanelles the mastoid fontanelle and the sphenoidal fontanelle are also significant. Some parents may feel anxious about touching the fontanelles.

There are two sphenoid fontanelles on either side of the baby s head near their temple. They facilitate safe and easy childbirth. Even while skull bones are the strongest there is a reason why the baby fontanelles are soft.

Six baby fontanelles close at different stages from early babyhood until around the age of eighteen months. They provide the skull with the flexibility needed to pass through the birth canal. These fontanelles typically close by the time your baby is six months old.

The s phenoid and m astoid fontanelles also close up within a couple of months after birth of the baby. These smaller gaps known as the mastoid fontanelles are on both sides of your baby s skull just behind their ears. Over time the fontanelles harden and close.