The word fontanel comes from the French fontaine
for fountain. The medical term fontanel is a "soft spot" of the skull. The "soft
spot" is soft precisely because the cartilage there has not yet hardened into bone
between the skull bones. There are normally two fontanels, both in the midline of
the skull, one (the anterior fontanel) well in front of the other (the posterior
fontanel). The posterior fontanel closes first, at latest by the age of 8 weeks
in a full-term baby. The anterior fontanel closes at 18 months of age on the average
but it can close normally as early as 9 months. If fontanels close too early or
too late, that may be a sign of a problem.
medical
dictionary, online medical dictionary, medical
terminology dictionary, free online medical
dictionary, medical dictionary, online medical
dictionary, medical terminology dictionary, free
online medical dictionary, dictionary medical,
dictionary medical online, dictionary medical
terminology, dictionary free medical online,
dictionary free medical, dictionary medical
terms, dictionary drug medical medicine,
dictionary health illustrated medical nursing
profession stedmans, dictionary English medical,
dictionary medical online terminology,
dictionary encyclopedia medical online,
condition dictionary medical, dictionary
medical, dictionary drug medical, medical
dictionary software, cyclopedic dictionary index
medical tabers thumb, medical dictionary, online
medical dictionary, medical terminology
dictionary