fontanelle

Examples of fontanelle in the following topics:

• Fontanels

  • A fontanelle (or fontanel) is an anatomical feature on an infant's skull.
  • The anterior fontanelle is useful clinically, as examination of an infant includes palpating the anterior fontanelle .
  • Two smaller fontanelles are located on each side of the head.
  • The fontanelle may pulsate.
  • This image show the location of the sphenoidal and mastoid fontanelles.

• Sutures

  • These broad areas of connective tissue are called fontanelles.
  • During birth, the fontanelles provide flexibility to the skull, allowing the bones to push closer together or to overlap slightly, thus aiding movement of the infant's head through the birth canal.
  • The fontanelles greatly decrease in width during the first year after birth as the skull bones enlarge.

• Sutures

  • At birth, many of the bones of the skull remain unfused to the soft spots described as fontanelle.