3.5 The Growth of the Skull Flashcards
Is the Neonatal Skull fully Ossified?
No
What are the benefits of the Neonatal Skull not being fully Ossified?
It means that it is less Rigid (more Flexible) which allows for:
1. Compression so easier passage during Childbirth
2. Rapid Growth of the Brain during
3. Less likely to Fracture the Skull in accidents (e.g. falls)
What type of Occification occurs in the Flat bones, of the Vault of the Skull?
Intramembranous Occification
What type of Occification occurs in the Irregular Bones, of the Base of the Skull?
Endochondrial Occification
What are the Fontanelles?
Soft Membranous Gaps between the Cranial Bones
What happens to the Fontanelles from the development from Foetal, to child, to Adult?
They Decrease in size until they fuse
What are the Dentition?
The Teeth
What happens to the Dentition from the development from Foetal, to child, to Adult?
Foetal - No Teeth, start to grow the Deciduous Teeth
Child - Lose Deciduous Teeth, start to grow the Permanent Teeth
Adult - Permanent Teeth (greater in number than the Deciduous Teeth)
What happens to the Tympanic Membrane from the development from Foetal, to child, to Adult?
Decreases in thickness
What happens to the Styloid / Mastoid Process from the development from Foetal, to child, to Adult?
These are not present in Neonates and so develop properly after Birth
At what age does the Anterior Fontanelle fuse?
18 months
At what age does the Posterior Fontanelle fuse?
12 months but is less predictable as it varies from child to child