Definition of Terms
- Fontanel: the soft cartilage between the bone sections of the baby's skull
- Region: an area or part around something
- Skull: bones which are fused or connected to form the head
- Suture: a fixed joint where two bones are fused together especially the bone in the skull
- Bregma: Anterior fontanel
- Brow: Area that lies between bregma& root of the nose
- Face: Part that lies at the root of the nose and sub-orbital ridges
- Occiput: bony prominence behind post fontanel
- Vertex: diamond shaped area between anti and post fontanels
There are five main bones in the vault (part of the skull which includes the frontal, the temporal and the occipital bones) of the foetal skull (see Fig. 2.1. below). The vault is the large roof shaped part above the imaginary line drawn between the orbital ridges and the nape of the neck.
- The occipital bone lies at the back of the head and forms the region of the occiput.
- The two parietal bones lie on either side of the skull.
- The two frontal bones from the forehead or sinciput.
Fig 2.1. Parts of the fetal skull