Fontanelle

This is about the human anatomical feature. For the album by Babes in Toyland, see Fontanelle (album).

The skull at birth, showing the anterior and posterior fontanelles.

The skull at birth, showing the lateral fontanelle.

In human anatomy, a fontanelle is one of two "soft spots" on a newborn human's skull.

The skull of a newborn consists of five main bones: two frontal bones, two parietal bones, and one occipital bone. These are joined by fibrous "sutures" which allow movement that facilitates childbirth and brain growth.

At birth, there is a small posterior fontanelle, an open area covered by a tough membrane, where the two parietal bones adjoin the occipital bone. This fontanelle usually closes during the first several months of an infant's life.

There is also a much larger, diamond-shaped anterior fontanelle, where the two frontal and two parietal bones are adjacent. This fontanelle remains open until about two years of age.