soft spot

how many fontanels does a baby have?

[vedadhar]

The skull of a newborn consists of five main bones: two frontal bones, two parietal bones, and one occipital bone. These are joined by fibrous sutures, which allow movement that facilitates childbirth and brain growth.

At birth, a baby has four fontanelles(Also called SOFT SPOTS) namely-

1.Anterior fontanelle(between 2 frontal and 2 parietal bones) forming a diamond shape, it also called as Frontal fontanelle.
2.Posterior fontanelle(between 2 parietal bones and 1 Occipital bone) forming a Lambda shape.It is also called Occipital fontanelle.
.Two smaller fontanelles are located on each side of the head,
3. More anteriorly the sphenoidal (between the sphenoid, parietal, temporal, and frontal bones).It is also called Sphenoidal fontanelle.
4.More posteriorly the mastoid (between the temporal, occipital, and parietal bones).It is also called Mastoid fontanelle.

Fontanelles are important to palpate in infants after birth to examine clinical conditions like Dehydration by observing anterior fontanelle which is sunken.Hydrocephalus or raised intra cranial pressure in case of raised or bulging anterior and posterior fontanelles.
Anterior fontanelle may pulsate,seems to echo the heart beat via arterial pressure of blood vessels of brain and meninges.
In cleidocranial dysostosis the skull fontanelle may be enlarged, and may be slow to close or may never close.