Skull Sutures and Bony Plates in Fetuses and Infants
Current as of: December 12, 2018
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:John Pope, MD, MPH - Pediatrics & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
The skull consists of five thin, curved, bony plates that are held together by fibrous material called sutures. These sutures allow a baby’s skull to expand with the growing brain. The sutures gradually harden to join the skull bones together. The spaces where sutures meet are called soft spots or fontanelles.