Sutures & Fontanelles

It’s amazing how newborns change the shapes of their heads in order to fit through the mother’s pelvis. 

Although the skull appears to be one large bone, newborn babies actually have several major bones that are connected together.

The major bones of a newborns skull include 2 frontal bones, 2 parietal bones & 1 occipital bone.

These bony plates cover the brain and are held together by fibrous material called sutures. The ‘soft spots’ between each bones where they all join, create the fontanelles. 

During a vaginal examination, you might find you midwife or doctor talking about trying to feel for, or locate suture lines or fontanelles to determine baby’s positioning.

The fontanelles and sutures allow baby’s heads to change shape in order to navigate their mother’s pelvis and birth canal.

The shape of your baby’s head most commonly changes back to its natural shape after 24-48 hours, though the larger fontanelle you can feel on the top of baby’s head will not close until closer to 9-18 months, allowing the brain room to grow.

Amazing little beings they are

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