Fetal Skull Flashcards
(12 cards)
What are the regions of the fetal skull?
Face
brow (sinciput)
vertex
occiput
Bones/landmarks of fetal skull
Glabella (between nose and eyes)
Sinciput-Frontal bone
Face-jaw
Mentum-jaw
Vertex-Parietal eminence
Vault-Parietal bone
Posterior fontanel-lamboid suture
Occiput-Occipital bone & Occipital protuberance
Suboccipital region
Bones of the vault
Occipital bone-at posterior part of head
x2 parietal bone
x2 frontal bone
upper segment of temporal bone
process of ossification
it is the process of bone hardening.
Incomplete at birth so sutures remain between the bones and fontanelle exist where two or more sutures meet
Types of sutures
Lambdoid suture-occiput
sagital suture
frontal suture-sinciput
Types of fontanelle
posterior fontanelle (smaller)-triangular shape and closes at 6 weeks of age
Anterior fontanelle (larger and diamond shape)-closes at 18 months of age
Lamboid suture
seperates occipital bone from 2 parietal bones
sagital suture
lies between 2 parietal bones
coronal suture
seperating 2 frontal bones from parietal bones, passing from one temple to another
frontal suture
seperates 2 frontal bones
purpose of sutures
enable moulding during birth
describe moulding
the change in shape of the fetal head that takes place during its passage through pelvis and birth canal during labour/birth
-change in head shape is possible as bones in vault allow a slight degree to bending and bones can over ride the sutures
