Fetal skull, introduction, landmark, region, bone of the skull, sutures, fontanelles, diameters,

1. FETAL SKULL PREPARED BY
DOLISHA WARBI

2. q The fetal head is large in relation to the fetal body compared
with the adult.
q It is large compare to fetal body.
q The skull bones encase and protect the brain.
q The bone of the skull is thin, pliable in nature.
q The bones of the skull at birth are thin, easily compressible and
joined by membrane.

3. It consists of:
qVault – It is a large, dome shaped part above the imaginary line drawn
between orbital ridges and nape of neck.
qBase - It is comprised of bone that firmly united to protect the vital center
in medulla.
qFace – It is composed of the small bones it extend from glabella to
mentum.

4. REGIONS:
A) THE OCCIPUT – Region between the foramen magnum and the posterior
fontanelle. The part below occipital protuberance is suboccipital region.
B) VERTEX – Bounded by anterior fontanelle and posterior fontanelle, the
presenting area is circular.
C) BROW/SINCIPUT - This extends from the anterior fontanelle & the
coronal suture to the orbital ridges.
D) FACE - It extends from the orbital ridges & root of the nose to the
junction of chin & the neck. The point between the eyebrows known as
glabella. The chin termed as mentum.

6. ØTwo frontal bone formed the forehead or the sinciput. The ossification
center on each is the frontal eminence fuse into a single bone by eight
years of age.
ØTwo parietal bone, lie on each side of the skull. The ossification center of
each is called parietal eminence.
ØOccipital bone lies at the back of the head and form the region of the
occiput consists of occipital protuberance, contain foramen magnum,
which protect the spinal cord.
ØTemporal bone on either side of the head. The upper part of the bone from
the part of the vault.

7. Sutures are the space between the bones of the skull.
The sagittal or longitudinal sutures lies between two parietal bones.
The coronal suture runs between parietal and frontal bones on either
side.
The frontal suture lies between the two frontal bonds.
The Lambdoidal sutures separate the occipital bone and the two
parietal bone.

8. 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.

9. .
(BREGMA)
It is diamond / kite
in shape present in
the anterior portion
between the
junction of sagittal,
coronal and frontal
suture 3-4 cm in
length and 1-2 cm in
width it closed by
18 month.
(LAMBDA)
Triangular in shape
present in the
junction of
lambdoidal and
sagittal suture. It is
closed by 6-8 weeks.

10. TRANVERSE DIAMETER
BIPARIETAL DIAMETER – Between the two parietal
eminence
9.5 cm.
BITEMPORAL DIAMETER – Between the two
temporal bone
8.2 cm

11. ANTERIOR POSTERIOR DIAMETER
SUB OCCIPITO BREGMATIC (SOB) – measured below the occipital protuberance to
the center of anterior fontanelle or bregma
9.5 cm.
SUB OOCPITO FRONTAL (SOF) – measured below the occipital to the center of the
frontal suture.
10 cm.
OCCIPITO FRONTAL (OF) – measured from the occipital protuberance to the
glabella.
11.5 cm.
MENTOVERTICAL (MV) – measured from the point of the chin to the highest point
on the vertex.
13.5 cm.
SUB MENTOVERTICAL (SMV) – measured from the point were the chin joint the
neck to the highest point on the vertex.
11.5 cm.
SUB MENTO BREGMATIC (SMB) – measured from the point were the chin joint the
neck to the center of bregma.
9.5 cm.