What are the fontanels in the fetal skull?

fontanel, also spelled fontanelle, soft spot in the skull of an infant, covered with tough, fibrous membrane. There are six such spots at the junctions of the cranial bones; they allow for molding of the fetal head during passage through the birth canal.

What is the purpose of a fontanel?

An infant is born with two major soft spots on the top of the head called fontanels. These soft spots are spaces between the bones of the skull where bone formation isn’t complete. This allows the skull to be molded during birth.

What is Bregma and lambda?

Bregma is the intersection of the two sutures, the coronal suture and the sagittal suture. The word bregma is of Greek origin, meaning “top of the head.” The more posterior marker is called lambda. Lambda is the spot where the three cranial plates, the two parietal bones and the occipital bone (back of the head) meets.

How many fontanelles do we have?

At birth, an infant has six fontanels. The anterior fontanel is the largest and most important for clinical evaluation. The average size of the anterior fontanel is 2.1 cm, and the median time of closure is 13.8 months.

What are the different types of fontanels in a baby?

The Baby Fontanelle 1 Anterior Fontanelle. The anterior fontanelle is the largest. 2 Posterior Fontanelle. The posterior fontanelle is triangular and closes much more rapidly – at around the eighth postnatal week. 3 Mastoid Fontanelle. 4 Sphenoidal Fontanelle.

How many fontanelles are there?

The six fontanelles are the: 1 Anterior fontanelle x 1 2 Posterior fontanelle x 1 3 Mastoid fontanelle x 2 4 Sphenoid or sphenoidal fontanelle x 2 More

What are the different parts of fetal skull?

Fetal Skull 1 Bones of the vault-. Lies at the back of the head & forms the region of occiput. 2 Sutures –. Sutures are cranial joint & formed where 2 bone adjoins. 3 Regions/ Areas-. The skull is divided into 3 parts with obstetrical importance. 4 Moulding. 5 Diameters of the fetal skull.

Which is the largest fontanelle in the human body?

The Baby Fontanelle. 1 Anterior Fontanelle. The anterior fontanelle is the largest. This diamond-shaped soft spot is located between the frontal and parietal bones. At this 2 Posterior Fontanelle. 3 Mastoid Fontanelle. 4 Sphenoidal Fontanelle.