Anterior fontanelle

Anterior fontanelle is a soft spot on a newborn's skull where the bones have not yet fully fused together. It is one of two fontanelles typically present at birth, the other being the posterior fontanelle. The anterior fontanelle is larger and more easily felt than the posterior fontanelle.

Anatomy

The anterior fontanelle is located at the junction of the frontal bones and parietal bones. It is diamond-shaped and measures approximately 2.1 cm by 1.6 cm. The anterior fontanelle allows for rapid brain growth during the first year of life. It typically begins to close between 7 and 19 months of age, but can remain open up to 2 years.

Clinical significance

The anterior fontanelle is often used in pediatrics to assess the health and hydration status of a newborn. A sunken fontanelle can indicate dehydration, while a bulging fontanelle can be a sign of increased intracranial pressure. Other conditions that can affect the anterior fontanelle include hydrocephalus, meningitis, and certain genetic disorders such as down syndrome.

See also

• Cranial sutures
• Fontanelle
• Posterior fontanelle

References

---

Translate: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, தமிழ், తెలుగు, Urdu, ಕನ್ನಡ, Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, বাংলা
European español, Deutsch, français, Greek, português do Brasil, polski, română, русский, Nederlands, norsk, svenska, suomi, Italian
Middle Eastern & African عربى, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew, Afrikaans, isiZulu, Kiswahili,
Other Bulgarian, Hungarian, Czech, Swedish, മലയാളം, मराठी, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, ગુજરાતી, Portuguese, Ukrainian