What does Fontanelle mean in medical terms?
fontanel, also spelled fontanelle, soft spot in the skull of an infant, covered with tough, fibrous membrane. The posterior fontanel is triangular and lies at the apex of the occipital bone. The largest fontanel, the anterior, is at the crown between the halves of the frontal and the parietals.
What is a Fontanelle in anatomy?
These gaps are composed of membranous connective tissue and are known as fontanelles. Fontanelles, often referred to as “soft spots,” are one of the most prominent anatomical features of the newborn’s skull. Six fontanelles are present during infancy, with the most notable being the anterior and posterior fontanelles.
What is the Fontanel commonly called?
These bones are held together by strong, fibrous, elastic tissues called sutures. The spaces between the bones that remain open in babies and young children are called fontanelles. Sometimes, they are called soft spots.
What is mastoid fontanel?
The mastoid or posterolateral fontanelles are paired bilateral soft membranous gaps (fontanelles) at the junction of the parietomastoid, occipitomastoid, and lambdoid sutures. Each mastoid fontanelle persists until the second year of life, after which it is known as the asterion.
Where did the name fontanel come from?
The name Fontanel is derived from the Old French word “fontaine,” which means “fountain,” and as a name it no doubt originally served as a mark of recognition for someone who lived near such a landmark.
What is the name of anterior fontanelle?
The anterior fontanelle (bregmatic fontanelle, frontal fontanelle) is the largest fontanelle, and is placed at the junction of the sagittal suture, coronal suture, and frontal suture; it is lozenge-shaped, and measures about 4 cm in its antero-posterior and 2.5 cm in its transverse diameter.
What are four Fontanels called?
Terms in this set (4)
- Sphenoidal. Anterolateral ( on both sides of head.
- Mastoid. Posterolateral (on both sides of head)
- Frontal. Anterior (diamond shaped)
- Occipital. Posterior.
Where did the name Fontanel come from?
How do you describe Cephalohematoma?
The most obvious sign of a cephalohematoma is a soft, raised area on the newborn’s head. A firm, enlarged unilateral or bilateral bulge on top of one or more bones below the scalp characterizes a cephalohematoma. The raised area cannot be transilluminated, and the overlying skin is usually not discolored or injured.
Where are the fontanelle located on the head?
Young human infants possess an anterior fontanelle between frontal and parietal bones on top of the head, and a posterior fontanelle between occipital and parietal bones at the back of the head. One of several “soft spots” on the skull where the developing bones of the skull have yet to fuse. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.
What does fontanel stand for in medical terms?
Any of the tough, fibrous membranes lying between the bones of the cranial vault of a fetus or infant. Fontanels, colloquially known as soft spots, allow an infant’s skull to be compressed during passage through the birth canal.
What kind of bone is the fontanelle in an infant?
One of several membranous intervals between the angles and margins of the cranial bones in the infant; they include the midline anterior and posterior fontanelles, and the paired sphenoidal and mastoid fontanelles. See: cranial fontanelles. A non-ossified area of membranous bone, in particular of the skull in an infant.
When does the anterior fontanelle close over during birth?
During birth, fontanelles enable the bony plates of the skull to flex, allowing the child’s head to pass through the birth canal. The ossification of the bones of the skull causes the anterior fontanelle to close over by 9 to 18 months.